The Missing Piece
by mamaXunicorn
Summary: It was her! It was the same voice and the same song he heard. The girl with the voice was right around the corner. The girl he had been looking for all summer was just one look away.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: I know this has been done many times but the idea came to me and I really wanted to do it. So I hope you like it! **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock!**_

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Shane shoved his hands in his pockets and rested his forehead against the wood of his cabin. It was yet another day at Camp Rock. He looked around at all the people walking around the camp. The girls seemed to get used to the fact that he was there and were not so crazy around him anymore which he was thankful for. All he wanted to do was to be alone.

His life finally seemed to be turning around. For a while he had become the bad boy of the press and so his band mates had sent him here hoping that it would change his attitude. At first he didn't want to be there, he wasn't exactly sure where he wanted to be but it sure wasn't camp. But then he heard a voice. A voice that did more for him that he could ever imagine. He didn't have a name or a face to match this voice but still it opened his eyes to what he was doing with his life. He was playing music that he didn't like. He was playing music that wasn't his and that's what made him turn into a jerk.

And then he met Mitchie. First it was the incident in the kitchen. It took some hard thinking to realize that Mitchie was indeed the one covered in flour. And then there was the confrontation by the lake. He couldn't believe his luck. He heard a girl who started his change and then he met a girl who made his attitude do a 180. Mitchie was so real and so down to earth. She was the only person he was not afraid to be himself around. He could trust Mitchie.

Or so he thought. The Beach Jam started out well. He called his band mates and two best friends to Camp Rock and they performed a song that Shane had been writing since he met Mitchie.

She looked so happy sitting there with her friends that he couldn't help but be happy himself. Although he really wanted to find the girl with the voice he couldn't help but start to develop feelings for Mitchie.

The new song was a huge hit with the crowd which meant the label would probably go for their idea to revamp their sound.

He went to talk to Mitchie wanting her personal opinion and that's when it all started. Mitchie lied. Somehow Tess had found out and exposed her to the whole camp. She lied to the whole camp but worse she lied to him. She lied and pretended that her mother was famous just so she could hang out with him. She got him to open up to her and tell her how he was really feeling to only betray him in the end.

He didn't recall every feeling as hurt as he did when he learned Mitchie had lied to him. In fact the only thing that was keeping him from going completely back to a jerk was the voice.

The girl was SOMEWHERE in the camp and even when he held the search he couldn't find her. It was like she disappeared off the face of the planet. But he still wouldn't give up hope.

He stood up and walked off his cabin porch. He figured a walk around the grounds would help him clear his thoughts.

As he walked along the dirt paths, he passed many of the campers but no one bothered him. He saw a few people glance his way but then continue on their way. Even the girls seemed to leave him alone. He guessed that they knew he would be down seeing as they all saw his embarrassing display at the Beach Jam yesterday. He hated showing his true feelings especially when he was upset. Usually when he was upset it would immediately turn into anger but something about Mitchie's lie hurt him so deep that he couldn't be angry at that moment. Instead he just felt like breaking down and crying.

He headed towards the lake. It was something about being near the water that helped him calm down. As he was passing a few trees and bushes as he approached the lake, he heard the sound of a guitar.

But that wasn't anything special; it was Camp Rock after all there were many guitarists here. What made him stop short though, was the voice that sang along to the guitar.

_I've always been the kind of girl  
That hid my face  
So afraid to tell the world  
What I've got to say  
But I have this dream  
Right inside of me  
I'm gonna let it show, it's time  
To let you know_

He felt his heart pick up its pace as he pressed himself up against the bushes. It was her! It was the same voice and the same song he heard. The girl with the voice was right around the corner. The girl he had been looking for all summer was just one look away. So why was he so nervous to see who it was?

_This is real, this is me  
I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be, now  
Gonna let the light, shine on me  
Now I've found, who I am  
There's no way to hold it in  
No more hiding who I want to be  
This is me_

He noticed that halfway through the chorus, the girl's voice cracked. She was crying. The strumming on the guitar stopped and quiet sobs filled the air.

He furrowed his brow. What could have this girl so upset? He felt genuinely concerned for her but wondered if he should leave her alone. Then again, maybe she would need someone to talk to.

With that thought it mind he took a few steps forward and walked around a tree to see the girl. Her back was facing him but he noticed that she had brown hair that fell to just past her shoulders and in fact it seemed oddly familiar. Like it belonged to…

"Mitchie." He whispered as she turned around. She froze instantaneously upon seeing him. Her bloodshot eyes widened and her mouth hung open as if not knowing what to say.

Mitchie was the girl with the voice. Mitchie who treated him differently than all the others, Mitchie who changed him, Mitchie who he had started to have romantic feelings for, Mitchie who had hurt him.

"I…" She let out a little squeak and then swallowed, as if trying to find her voice. "I'm sorry." She took her guitar off her lap and started to get up. "If this is your spot, I'll be out of here." Her voice was meek and quiet and it sounded like she could just burst into tears at any moment.

He held out his hand motioning for her to stop. "No…stay."

She gave him a confused look but sunk back to the ground.

His hand fell to his side and he took a deep breathe. He was still processing the fact that Mitchie was the girl. He didn't know exactly what he was feeling at the moment. There was way too much going on. He felt a little relieved that Mitchie was the girl because of his conflicting emotions for the girl and Mitchie. But after she hurt him he wanted to find the girl and try to forget about Mitchie and now he couldn't do that.

He slowly walked over to her and sat down beside her. He looked over to her and noticed that she was avoiding his gaze.

"Just tell me why."

Mitchie looked up at him quickly and then looked out to the water and let out a sigh. "I wanted to fit in." She responded quietly.

"Fit in?"

She nodded. "I've always been the outcast. At home I only have one friend and no one ever talks to me in school. When I came here I thought I could just be free to be a new person. But then Tess came along and she was popular and I thought that if I could get in with her I could get in with the rest of the camp. And her mom is T.J. Tyler and everyone here has a family member in some type of show business and once again I was left out of the loop."

"So you lied." It came out harsher than he expected.

She glanced down in shame. "I told her my father ran a hardware store and she just started to walk off. I said the first thing that came to my mind and I regret it, I do. Because it's not me, it's not who I am. I'm not a liar. I just…wanted to be liked for once in my life."

He turned his gaze from her to the lake and stared at the still water. He sat there quietly for a few moments and let everything Mitchie just told him sink in.

"You really only have one friend?" He asked still staring at the lake.

She nodded. "One friend that's all I've ever had."

At Shane's silence she continued on. "I realize now what a huge mistake I made. It's not all about popularity. Tess is not a nice person and I was trying way too hard to impress someone who would never really respect me. I was just another one of her lackeys." She sighed and rested her chin in the palm of her hand. "A Backup singer. I've lost the respect of the whole camp instead of gaining their friendship. And I've lost the only person that I actually want to be friends with."

He looked over at her. "And who's that?"

"You."

He stared at her a few moments. He was still upset with her for lying but he understood more now where she was coming from. It wasn't him she was after. She didn't lie to become friends with him like every other girl out there. She was lonely most of her life and just like a self conscious teenager she did anything she could to fit in with her peers.

"I just want you to know Shane." She spoke up after a few moments of silence. "That I was never fake around you. Every time we talked you were talking to the real Mitchie. I wasn't pretending. Despite everything that was going on around me and while I was pretending to be someone I'm not around Tess and around Caitlyn, you were the one person I could go to and feel like I could be myself around."

"You know…" He mused thoughtfully. "I'm thinking about it and I realized you never actually lied _to_ me. I just heard it around the camp and never bothered to ask or find out if it was true."

"But I never denied it." She replied softly. "When we talked in the canoe and you told me that it must be the same for me because of my mom's job and how people are always fake around me, I didn't correct you. I don't know why." He heard that her voice started to crack again. "I knew I should have told you the truth then and there. I wanted to. I felt horrible for lying to you but when you told me that it was nice talking to someone who gets how you're feeling I just couldn't bring myself to do it."

"That's not why I talk to you Mitchie." He said shaking his head a little. She looked over at him curiously and raised an eyebrow. "I mean sure that was a bonus but that's not what mattered to me. For one, you didn't act like a normal fan girl who screamed just at the sight of me. And another, you were just easy to talk to. You told me that you felt you could be yourself around me. I felt the same. It seems like everyone else hold high expectations about me but not you. You accepted me for who I am and you put me in a place that I was trying to reach for so long but couldn't find my way there. You helped me realize that the music I was playing wasn't my music and it was for my music that Jason, Nate and I started the band."

"You just want to play your music." She quoted his song with a small smile on her face.

He laughed a little. "Exactly. You helped me write that song. You helped me realize who I was becoming and I didn't like it. You changed me Mitchie."

A blush rose to her cheeks and she looked down shyly, biting her lip.

"I should have listened to you."

She looked up at him and cocked her head to the side in a questioning motion.

"At the Beach Jam. You were trying to explain and I just accused you of using me."

"You were hurt." She said. "I honestly don't blame you for everything you said. You said that I was just like everyone else which means it must have happened before."

"It has." He muttered. "More times than I can even remember. That's why I was so hurt when I heard that you lied because I thought you were the one person who would never do that." He saw Mitchie begin to open her mouth to say something but he cut her off. "And I know now that you would never do that." He smiled softly. "You're different from everyone else and that's good."

"I never meant to hurt you Shane." She said softly.

"I know." He nodded.

She let out a breath. "Does this mean you forgive me?" She asked cautiously.

He pursed his lips and looked at her for a few moments and then turned his gaze to the water.

"I would totally understand if you didn't. I did a horrible thing and I don't expect you to forgive me especially so quickly-" She was cut off by Shane's finger on her lips. She looked over at him in surprise.

"Yes." He said with a smile. "I forgive you."

He removed his finger from her lips and she broke out into a grin. He couldn't help but find her beautiful smile infectious and a bright smile spread across his face as well. "Friends?" She asked.

He nodded. "Friends."

Her smile grew for a moment and then it fell. She let out a half laugh and covered her face with her hands. She wiped the tears off her cheeks and rubbed her eyes. "God I must look like a mess."

"You look perfect." He muttered staring at her with a misty look in his eyes. At first he wasn't really sure if she heard it. But then she shook her head. "No, my eyes are bloodshot, my cheeks are tear stained, my hair's a mess and-" She paused when she saw the way he was looking at her and she turned bright pink. She laughed nervously and tore her gaze away from him.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, Mitchie stretched out her legs and asked him, "So did you find your special girl yet?"

At that moment, his memory came back to him and he remembered that she was the girl with the voice. At that thought he broke out into a smile. "Yes actually, I did."

"Oh." He noted that she sounded surprised but also disappointed. "That's great!"

"Yeah…" Shane nodded with a smirk. "I think you know her."

"Really? Who?" She inquired.

Shane's eyebrows furrowed as he pretended to think. "Oh gee, what was her name, um…oh yes..." He looked her straight in the eye. "Mitchie Torres."

Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "What?" She whispered breathlessly.

"You heard me."

"M…Me?" She stuttered. "But it can't be! You've never heard me sing!"

He smirked and held out his hand and motioned towards her guitar. "May I?"

She nodded softly and handed him the guitar. He placed it in his lap and started to play some very familiar chords. And then he started singing.

_This is real, this is me  
I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be, now  
Gonna let the light, shine on me_

He stopped and smirked at her wide-eyed face. "That is your song, isn't it?"

"Y…yeah." She muttered. "But how…when…"

"The first day here, you were in the mess hall, at the piano."

"You were there?" She asked.

"I was outside hiding from screaming fan girls. I heard you singing from inside and by the time it was safe for me to come out, you were gone." He explained.

"Wow." She murmured. "When did you find out it was me?"

"I heard you singing before the same song that's why I was standing here. I wanted to know who the girl was."

She nodded and then made a face. "I bet you're disappointed."

"Disappointed?" He questioned. "Why would I be disappointed?"

"I bet you were expecting someone spectacular and it's just me."

"You wanna know a secret?" He asked.

"Sure." She replied nervously.

"I was hoping it was you. But I didn't think I could get that lucky."

"Lucky?" She questioned slowly.

"I met this amazing girl who I felt this strong connection to and the only thing that would have made it better was if she was the one I've been looking for all along. And she is. You are."

She bit her lip and her cheeks flushed.

He laughed, "Blushing seems to be a hobby of yours doesn't it?"

At that, her cheeks turned even redder. "Only when I'm around you." She replied.

He smirked. "Are you indirectly calling me hot?"

She rolled her eyes playfully. "Jerk!"

He adopted a look of pretend offence. "Hey! Being a Jerk is part of the rock star image!"

"And you're a rock star?" She grinned.

His jaw dropped similar to the way it looked in the canoe. "Now _that_ is offensive! I am so a rock star!"

"Whatever you say." She looked away innocently. "Pop Star." She coughed. She giggled lightly and grinned over at him. He placed the guitar next to him calmly and then lunged towards her. She squealed as Shane grabbed hold of her and started tickling her sides.

She started writing around trying to escape from him but she found she couldn't. "Shane…" Laugh. "Please…" Laugh. "S…Stop!" More laughs.

He shook his head stubbornly. "You have to admit that Shane Gray is the most awesome rock star on the planet."

"NO!" She shouted and erupted in more laughter when Shane started to tickle her harder. She fell onto the wood of the deck and rolled around. "Sh…Shane…s…Stop!"

"Say it!"

"Never!" She managed to get out in between laughs.

"Say it!"

She gripped onto his arms to try and push his hands away but he was too strong for her. "Alright, alright, alright!" She shouted in a burst of laughter. "Shane Gray is the most awesome rock star on the planet!"

He grinned in triumph and pulled his hands away.

She sighed out in relief and covered her stomach with her arms. She just lay on the deck and stared up at the sky trying to catch her breath.

Once her breathing returned to normal, she turned her gaze towards him and shot a glare at him. "Jerk."

"Thanks to you I'm not a jerk anymore." He replied.

She pushed herself up into a sitting position and smiled softly. They both sat there for a moment before noticing how close they actually were to each other. While he was tickling her Shane was hovering over her and only backed off a little when he stopped. When she sat up, he was still partially hovering over her, so her face remained only inches away from his. They both stared into each other's eyes and an awkward silence fell upon them.

Mitchie's heart leapt when she felt Shane's fingers brush against hers. She briefly glanced away from his eyes to look at her hand. Her hand was rested on the wood on the deck and Shane's hand was placed over hers. Her eyes flickered back to his and she saw that his lips were curved up in a small smile.

She bit her lip and turned her face away shyly. She cleared her throat softly. "I…I should go." She said softly. Out of the corner of her eye she saw that he frowned. She looked back to him and smiled gently. "I have to help my mom in the kitchen." She explained and the frown on his face disappeared and he nodded.

"Then you should go. I don't want you to get in trouble."

She nodded softly and rose to her feet, Shane following quickly after.

"Oh!" Shane reached down beside him and lifted her guitar and extended it out towards her. "Here."

"Thanks." She took her guitar from him. She placed it in her guitar case and then placed the guitar case next to her feet. "I'm glad we talked Shane."

"Me too." He responded. "I didn't like being upset with you."

"Yeah, having you hate me wasn't the best feeling either."

He sighed quietly. "I didn't hate you Mitchie. I honestly don't think that's possible." He smiled when he saw that she was blushing again. "Just don't be afraid to be yourself. If people don't accept you for who you are than that's their problem, you shouldn't ever have to be someone you're not. You are an amazing girl with a wonderful talent. You speak to people with your sparkling personality and with your voice and your song. I know I've said this already but you've changed me. You've changed me in so many ways that I could have never done myself. No matter what anyone did, Nate, Jason, my manager, even my parents, no one could get met to change. But you….there's something special about you Mitchie Torres and you should never let that go."

She stared at him wide eyed. She was stunned that he thought of her like that. That people who he has known for years were not able to help him but someone he had known for only a couple of weeks completely changed his life around. And that someone was her. Plain old Mitchie Torres. "I won't." She muttered, still too shocked too speak.

"Good." He looked over her shoulder to the direction of the dining hall and kitchen and then back to her. "I think you should get going."

She finally snapped herself out of her stupor. "Oh right! I should." She picked up her guitar case. "I'll see you later?"

He nodded with a smile. "See you later." Before she turned to leave, he leaned over and pecked her cheek. She snapped her head towards him with a shocked expression written on her face. He smiled at her. "Bye Mitchie." He said warmly and gave a little wave and then started off down the path towards his cabin.

"Bye." She whispered. A wide smile broke out across her face as her hand went to her cheek where she could still feel his soft lips. She let out a short squeal and happily made her way to the kitchen.

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_**A/N: **__**This might be a one-shot or depending on what you think and what I want to do, I might turn it into a multiple chapter story. I already have a full chapter story going on and I'm really dedicated to that one. I also have some stories on the Jonas Brothers Fanfiction Archive that are multiple chapters that I still have yet to work on. **_

_**So review! Tell me what you think! **_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Sorry I took so long to update!!! I've just been really, really busy and I had a lot of inspiration for my other story and not so much for this one, but I've got writers block for my other one so I wrote this. So please don't give up on this!! **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock.

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Mitchie dropped off her guitar at her and mother's cabin, she had moved back in there after the whole Tess thing happened, and then headed to the kitchen.

As she walked she couldn't keep the grin off of her face. She had just made up with Shane and she couldn't be happier. The only two people who mattered to her right now were on her side. One of her good friends, Caitlyn Gellar and the boy who she was starting to fall for, Shane Gray.

She pushed the screen door open and walked into the kitchen. She saw her mother working over the counter and walked over to her. "Hey Mom." She greeted happily.

Connie turned to look at her daughter and her face wrinkled in confusion at the grin on her face. "Hello Mitchie…didn't I just see you run out of here a few minute ago with tears in your eyes?"

Mitchie nodded, the grin not leaving her face. "Yes you did."

"Well," Connie couldn't help but laugh, "What happened?"

Mitchie slipped on a pair of gloves and started helping her mother. "I talked to Shane."

"Oh?"

"We talked." Mitchie went on. "I explained to him why I lied and that I never meant to lie to him and he forgave me."

"He did?" Connie asked surprised.

Mitchie turned her head and glanced at her mother. "Shane's not a bad guy. I mean he may have been a jerk not too long ago but he's changed."

Connie gave her a skeptical look. "Are you sure Mitchie? People like that usually don't change."

"I'm sure Mom." Mitchie said confidently. "There's just something about him that's sincere."

"I don't mean to be mean honey but could it be possible that it's just your crush talking?"

Mitchie's cheeks turned a light pink and she avoided her mothers gaze. "What crush?"

Connie gave her a look. "Mitchie, I'm your mother, I can tell you're crushing on that boy." When Mitchie glanced up to ask how Connie continued, "How can I tell? Well lets see your eyes light up every time you mention his name and you get this big goofy smile on your face kind of like the one you had when you came here and told me you made up with Shane."

Another smile spread across Mitchie's face and Connie pointed at it, "Ah! There it is!"

"Okay, okay, I like him but that's not why I think he's changed. It's because he's changed that I like him. I wouldn't like him like that if he was a jerk." Mitchie explained.

"Alright, I'll trust your instinct Mitchie." Connie told her.

"He told me he changed because of me." Mitchie said softly after a few moments of silence.

"Really?"

Mitchie nodded softly. "Yeah, you know that girl he's been looking for?"

"Yes...the one with the voice?" Connie replied not really sure where Mitchie was going with that.

"That's me." Mitchie responded quietly.

Connie's eyes widened and she momentarily froze what she was doing. She looked at her daughter in shock. "You're the girl with the voice?"

Mitchie nodded again.

"Oh Mitchie!" Connie cried out and hugged her. "Honey that's fantastic!"

Mitchie smiled and bit her lip. She thought back to the conversation she had with Shane and how he said he was lucky that she turned out to be the girl he was looking for. Her smile grew when she remembered how Shane called her an amazing girl and said that she looked perfect even though she looked like a total mess, and their tickle fight, and the kiss. She blushed again, practically still feeling the feel of his lips against her cheek.

Connie smirked down at her. "Are you thinking of Shane?" She asked knowingly.

"Huh?" She asked cluelessly, just snapping out of her reverie and not hearing the exact words of her mother's question.

"I'll take that as a yes." Connie laughed.

Mitchie stared at her a few moments and once she realized what she was referring to, blushed again and glanced down at the counter.

"Mitchie go get the cans of Tomato Sauce from the supply closet in the back and empty them into the pot on the stove over there and start to boil it and then you can go." Connie instructed. She glanced up at the clock on the wall. "It's almost lunch time so you can go to the cafeteria with your friends."

"What friends?" Mitchie muttered with the intent of keeping it so low that her mother wouldn't hear it. Unfortunately, she did.

"Isn't Caitlyn your friend?" Connie asked.

"Yeah…" Mitchie sighed. "But no one else is."

Connie smiled sympathetically. "Give them time sweetie, they'll come around."

Mitchie nodded quietly and without another word went to retrieve the Tomato Sauce cans from the supply closet. She found an empty box in the closet and filled it with all the cans. She lifted the box and carried it back into the kitchen. She placed it on the counter next to the stove and unloaded, opened and poured the cans into the pot, one by one.

After she was done, she took off her apron and hung it up on the hanger. She said goodbye to her mother and opened the door and walked outside.

She saw everyone crowding into the lunch room and slowly made her way over. She slipped into the crowd and no one really seemed to notice her. Once she got into the cafeteria she saw Caitlyn, Lola, Barron and Sander all sitting at a table together. She went over to the lunch line and grabbed a plate with some pieces of garlic bread. She then headed over to the table where Caitlyn and the others were sitting. On the way there, she passed Tess, Peggy and Ella's table and saw Tess give her a cold stare. Mitchie pretended to ignore her and continued on her way.

She walked up next to Caitlyn and everyone at the table looked up at her. "Hey," She greeted quietly, "Can I sit here?"

Caitlyn looked at the others for approval and they nodded. Caitlyn turned back to Mitchie and smiled softly, "Sure, but you have to give me your bread."

Mitchie smiled and laughed softly. "Done." She took a seat next to Caitlyn and pushed her plate of bread toward her.

Caitlyn looked at her in amusement. "I was kidding."

"Oh." She smiled sheepishly and reached for the plate and slid it in front of her as Caitlyn laughed.

"You know sitting here with the kitchen help is really hurting my rep." Barron stated. Lola scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"What rep?"

Mitchie smiled, knowing that he was just joking around. She and Caitlyn both turned around when they heard Tess' laughter from behind them. Tess looked over her shoulder and gave an obviously fake laugh and then turned back to Ella and Peggy.

"Believe me," Caitlyn told the rest of the group, "It's probably not that funny."

Mitchie nodded in agreement. Nothing Tess ever said was funny. She could tell that Ella and Peggy would only laugh to make Tess happy. Mitchie glanced over her shoulder briefly and looked at Peggy and Ella. She wondered why they stuck by Tess for so long. She felt guilt rack up inside her as she thought about how if Tess didn't reveal her lie, she would probably still be hanging out with Tess. She didn't like that thought at all.

Suddenly the whole cafeteria turned quiet and only whispers filled the air. Mitchie furrowed her brow and looked around to see what had made them all go quiet. And there, standing in the door way was her answer. Shane Gray stood holding the door opened and looking around.

"What is he doing here?" She heard a girl whisper from another table. Shane Gray never showed his face in the cafeteria. Mitchie knew from working in the kitchen that he always had his meals pre made and sent to his cabin.

His eyes scanned the place and finally locked on hers. A smile spread across his face and he walked in. Every eye in the place watched as Shane made his way through the tables and finally stopped at hers. He shot them a dazzling smile and rested his hands against the table, "Hey guys, have room for one more?"

Lola and Caitlyn's eyebrows shot up. Was this real? Was Shane Gray actually asking them to sit at their table?

Seeing that the girls were unresponsive, Sander answered for them, "Of course man."

Shane thanked him and took a seat next to Mitchie. "Hey Mitchie." He greeted her warmly with a smile.

"Hey Shane." She greeted back.

"Okay did I miss something here?" Caitlyn asked suddenly looking between the two. "Because last time I checked you two weren't on the greatest of terms."

Mitchie smiled and looked at her. "Well earlier Shane and I had a talk and we made up."

Shane nodded. "And now we're friends again."

"Wait, again?" Lola asked, confused.

"What, you think I would go off like that for just anybody?" Shane responded with a cocked eyebrow. Shane saw out the corner of his eye that Mitchie glanced down sheepishly. He reached over and placed his hand on top of hers. "Relax Mitch, I'm over it."

Mitchie smiled softly at the nickname he gave her but it quickly faded. "I know." Mitchie sighed quietly. "I just feel so guilty."

He instinctively scooted closer to her. "Hey, remember what I told you earlier?"

She lifted her head to look at him and as she gazed at him his words echoed in her head. 'Don't be afraid to be yourself, if people don't accept you for who you are then that's their problem, you shouldn't ever have to be someone you're not. There's something special about you Mitchie Torres.'

Somehow when Shane said those words, she believed them to be true. She smiled softly at him and nodded. He smiled at her and the two just gazed into each other's eyes.

Caitlyn and Lola looked at each other with knowing looks. They both looked at Barron and Sander and at once they all knew that all of them saw it. The chemistry between Shane and Mitchie was so plainly obvious. The way they were looking at each other right in that moment was as if they thought of each other as the only two people in the room.

Caitlyn turned to look over her shoulder and saw that the whole cafeteria kept their eyes on Mitchie and Shane. Whispers once again flew through the air as many of the girls stared at Mitchie enviously.

Caitlyn cleared her throat to get Mitchie and Shane's attention. The way they jumped apart one would think that someone placed a lit match under their seat. Mitchie, upon seeing the looks everyone at the table was giving her, blushed furiously. Shane also seemed a little bit shy about being caught in such an amorous state.

"Welcome back to reality." Caitlyn teased with a smirk.

Mitchie and Shane glanced at each other and Mitchie turned away shyly, biting her lip.

"So Shane, what brings you to our neck of the woods?" Barron asked changing the subject.

Shane shrugged. "I always say that I'm sick of people acting fake around me and liking me just for my money or for the fame but if I act like a stuck up Pop Star than that's just how I'm going to be treated. That's not who I am even though I've been acting that way for a while now. I'm just a normal person like all of you." He leaned forward and continued in a low voice so anyone outside of their table couldn't hear. "And you five are the only ones I can trust to be real unlike the rest of the camp who still continue to stare at me."

The five looked around and saw that indeed the cafeteria still had their eyes on Shane.

"That must be hard." Lola commented.

Shane nodded and sat back. "Sometimes it is. Sometimes I adore the attention but sometimes I just want to hang out without some girl falling all over me."

"Shane Gray doesn't want female attention?" Caitlyn gasped sarcastically.

Shane cast a sideways smirk at her. "Ha-ha. Well not my crazy, screaming fan girls anyway."

"Oh really?" Caitlyn asked and rested her chin in her hands. "Who then?" She watched as Shane's eyes flickered to Mitchie quickly. He laughed nervously, "Uh…n…no one in particular."

Caitlyn rolled her eyes and Mitchie gave her an odd look, not catching the unspoken conversation going on between Caitlyn and Shane.

"Hey Shaney." A whiney voice interrupted them and they all turned to the source of the voice.

Tess stood with Peggy and Ella, right behind Shane and smiled flirtatiously at him. He raised an eyebrow.

Tess' eyes narrowed as her eyes scanned the rest of the table members. She scoffed and rolled her eyes placing her hand on his shoulder. Shane looked at his shoulder like a bird just crapped on it.

"Why are you hanging around these losers? Especially Mitchie, she's just a liar. You should be hanging out with me, we have so much in common."

"First of all," Shane started and pushed her hand off his shoulder, "Don't ever call me Shaney. Second of all these people are my friends and I don't like people who call my friends losers. Third of all, Mitchie lied, so what? You can't stand there and honestly tell me that you haven't told a single lie in your life. She made a mistake, everyone makes mistakes. I make mistakes; I made a huge one by turning into that jerk. Her mother forgives her and she's the one she lied about, it shouldn't matter to you or to anyone else. And finally, you and I have nothing in common. I would say our love for music but I can't even say that because even that is just a competition for you."

At this point in time, Tess stood with her jaw dropped, Peggy and Ella stood behind her with shocked expressions but with smiles on their faces. Mitchie, Caitlyn, Lola, Barron and Sander all sat there with grins on their faces. The cafeteria buzzed with excitement as no one had expected that.

Tess tried to speak but had no response and only turned on her heel and left the cafeteria. Shane raised a threatening eyebrow at Peggy and Ella, daring them to counter him. Ella shook her head and Peggy gave an approving nod to him.

"PEGGY! ELLA!" Tess' voice screeched and the two girls hustled their way out of the cafeteria towards Tess.

Shane smirked and held his head high in triumph. The whole cafeteria burst into applause and after a few moments, calmed down and the room was filled with voices talking about what had just happened.

"Shane you are the _man!_" Sander laughed and leaned over to the table with his hand up. Shane slapped his hand in a high five and grinned.

"Seriously," Caitlyn said with a happy grin, "I have been waiting for someone to do that." She also lifted her hand and Shane high fived her and then proceeded to slap everyone's hand at the table. When he got to Mitchie, after he slapped her hand, his hand remained on hers and their fingers intertwined for the briefest of moments.

"Thank you." Mitchie muttered softly and he winked at her. After that brief exchange their hands dropped back to the table.

After that, they all got their lunch, sat back down to eat, and talked some more. About a half an hour later, Lola, Sander and Barron excused themselves from the table and went to go practice for Final Jam.

Once they left, Shane turned to Mitchie, "Speaking of Final Jam, are you doing anything?"

Mitchie shrugged, "Well I was going to do something with Tess but obviously that's way out."

"What about by yourself?"

Mitchie's eyes widened. She got nervous just thinking about. "B-by myself?" She shook her head. "I-I don't think I could. I'm not good enough."

Shane's eyebrows shot up. "Excuse me? What did you just say?" He asked in a serious yet teasing tone.

Mitchie blushed and glanced down shyly. "Well I…I…"

"Well nothing, I don't write songs for just anybody you know."

Caitlyn chocked on the water she was drinking and started coughing. Mitchie reached over and patted her on the back. Once her little episode was done she looked up at Shane. "WHAT did you just say?"

"I don't write songs for just anybody." Shane repeated, confused.

"What? You wrote a song for her? What song? Why?" Caitlyn asked frantically.

"Yes I wrote a song for her, it's a song that no one has heard except myself and Mitchie, and because she's the girl with the voice." Shane explained.

Caitlyn turned and looked at Mitchie with wide eyes. "You're the girl with the voice? The girl he's been looking for all summer? Why didn't you TELL me?"

Mitchie was taken aback by her friend's antic tone. "I just found out not too long ago myself, I was going to tell you but when we were alone."

"Oh." Caitlyn replied more calmly. She then rolled her eyes, "Oh it's not me trust, anyway he's never heard me sing." Caitlyn mocked Mitchie's voice and Mitchie whacked her on the arm playfully.

Shane gave them an odd, questioning look and Mitchie explained. "When you were doing that search Caitlyn said I should get in line and that's what I told her. I was unaware that I had someone spying on me from outside the mess hall."

"Hey," Shane snapped to his defense, "I was hiding from screaming fan girls and the only reason I was actually hiding there was I tripped and fell and couldn't get up in time so I just scrambled behind the bushes." Mitchie and Caitlyn giggled. "And besides, if I hadn't heard you, we wouldn't be here right now."

"I'm not saying it's a bad thing," Mitchie elaborated, "I am glad you heard me."

"Alright so back to my original question," He shot a look at Caitlyn who stuck out her tongue at him. "Are you going to sing something for Final Jam? And don't you even dare say you're not good enough."

Mitchie shrugged. "I don't know." She replied quietly. "Maybe. I-I've never really sang in front of an audience by myself."

"You sang in Brown's class." Caitlyn reminded her. "And you totally rocked."

Mitchie smiled at the compliment. "Thanks."

"Well come on, Final Jam isn't much different, you'll do great." Shane tried to convince her. She looked at him unsurely.

"Well, I don't know, I'll think about it."

Shane sighed, "Alright, I'll take that for now. But you really do have an amazing voice Mitchie."

She blushed again and immediately scolded herself. She had to stop blushing in front of Shane!

Caitlyn glanced at the clock on the wall and jumped a little. "Oh! I've got to go." She got up and grabbed her tray. "I'll talk to you later Mitchie."

"Bye Caitlyn." Mitchie said and both she and Shane waved as she left the table, placed her tray in the return slot and then headed out the door. That left Mitchie and Shane alone.

Mitchie glanced at him and then looked away, biting her lip lightly. She hated the way she acted around him. She acted like one of his fan girls but the thing was she didn't see him as Shane Gray, lead singer of Connect 3, she just saw him as Shane Gray the person and still she acted this way. What in the name of all that is music was wrong with her?

An awkward silence fell upon the two of them and they were silent for what seemed like minutes.

"So," Shane started breaking the silence. She looked over to him and he shot a grin at her, "You up for a canoe ride?"

A smile spread across her face and she nodded. "You bet."

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_**A/N: Hope you liked that…um...there wasn't much but hopefully there will be some Smitchie action in the next chapter! So Review and I'll try not to take a month to update ^-^.**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: This chapter is going to have so much fluff it'll make your sweet tooth go crazy. :D. To the rest of America: It's a Thanksgiving present!!! I'm GIVING you this and for THANKS you should GIVE me a revew!!!

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Shane and Mitchie walked out of the cafeteria side by side. Everyone watched them as they left and whispers flew among girls wondering how Mitchie got Shane.

They were both silent as they headed towards the docks. Mitchie glanced up at Shane and saw his gaze fully focused ahead of him. A soft smile spread across her face as she observed him. The sun shining over head cast just the right amount of light on his tanned face. She loved the way his dark hair fell over his forehead and accentuated his warm brown eyes. He looked so calm and his handsome boyish features stood out and made her heart melt. He carried his trademark smirk on his lips but it didn't hold the cockiness that it held in the past. Now it was just more of a small smile. She loved the way it looked on him and thought it made him adorable.

Shane felt someone's eyes on him and turned his head towards Mitchie just in time to see her quickly snap her head forward. A light blush rose to her cheeks and she knew it and ducked her head to try and hide it. Shane smirked. He wanted to tell her how cute he thought she was when she blushed but knew it wasn't the right moment. He wanted to tell her a lot of things. Like how just the sight of her made his heart race and how even though he didn't act it he was nervous to speak around her thinking he would say something stupid and scare her away. He wanted to tell her how her beauty didn't compare to that of all the models and actresses he had met over the years. And how her bright, gorgeous smile made him go weak in the knees. Him! Shane Gray! In his whole eighteen years he had never felt that way about any girl. He had had plenty of crushes in junior high but this was completely different. None of them made him feel like Jello with just a simple look or even a gesture. She just bit her lip. His heart started to race again and he caught the dreamy smile on his face before she could see it.

He finally managed to tear his gaze away from her, swallowed, and inhaled deeply though his nose and let it out slowly. He knew if he continued to stare at her, he would wind up walking into a tree for he would be mesmerized by how she looked in the sunlight.

"Shane?" He snapped his head back towards her and saw that she was staring at him with a concerned expression. His chest tightened and hoped to God that he wasn't showing any signs of weakness.

"Hmm?" Was his only response because there was that thought again that he would say something stupid.

"Are you ok?"

His eyes widened for a second and then returned back to their normal shape. Was he really that obvious?

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

She shrugged lightly. "You seem like you have a lot on your mind."

He offered a small smile, "I'm fine Mitchie." He assured her. He realized that they had arrived at the docks and were standing in front of one of the canoes. He reached down and flipped the canoe over, not catching Mitchie's skeptical look.

He pushed the canoe halfway into the water and grabbed two life vests and handed one to her.

After they were both secure in the life vests they stepped into the canoe and pushed it off the bank. They each placed their oars in the water and started to row out into the lake.

The boat was silent for a good fifteen seconds before Mitchie started giggling. Shane looked up at her in question and then caught what she was laughing at and broke out into a smile.

"I still don't think we're doing this right." Mitchie laughed as the boat still continued to go in circles.

"Well I didn't become a world famous rock star because of my canoeing skills." He responded.

She smirked at him and wittily replied, "Pop Star."

He raised his eyebrows and cast an amused look at her. "Oh, we're going back to that are we?"

She grinned and nodded. "Yep!"

He smirked. "Well you know what I have to say to that?"

"What?" She asked with a laugh.

"This." He leaned over the side of the boat and splashed water onto her. Her eyes closed and her jaw dropped when she felt the cold water hit the side of her body and face. She reached up and wiped the water away from her eye, hearing Shane laughing. She reopened her eyes. Her jaw finally closed and she narrowed her eyes playfully at the grinning Shane.

"This means war Shane Gray!" She exclaimed and placed her hand in the water and splashed back in his direction. His laughter immediately stopped as soon as the water hit him and she started giggling at his reaction.

He wiped the water off his face and shook his wet hair. Once he stopped, he shot a look at her. "You're going down Torres!" He cried and went to splash her again.

She squealed and tried to block herself from the water she knew would be coming. Some of the water hit her raised hands but most proceeded to wet her face and her pants. After she realized that her defense was inadequate she dropped her hands and launched an attack back on him.

Their splash war lasted until both of them and the canoe was completely soaked. After they stopped splashing each other they sat laughing for a good minute. Shane's laughter died off first and he just watched Mitchie laugh. A small smile spread across his face as she continued to laugh. Her eyes were closed and her head was titled slightly back with her mouth wide open in a grin and the glorious sound of her laugher filled the air.

Finally Mitchie realized that Shane was no longer laughing with her and she slowly died off. She opened her eyes and pushed her wet away from her face. Her eyes widened and her breath caught when she caught a glimpse of Shane. He had taken off his life jacket and his white shirt was soaked and stuck to his skin which showed his toned, muscular chest and abs. He had also taken off his black leather jacket which left his muscular arms out in the open. His wet, dark hair fell over his forehead and the smile on his face was positively captivating.

Shane noticed that Mitchie kept staring at him. Her eyes wide and she looked like she couldn't take her eyes away. He wondered for a second why she was looking at him like that and looked around him and then down and finally understood why she looked like that. He smirked and looked back up at her.

"Like what you see Mitch?"

Her cheeks flushed beat red and she finally tore her gaze away. She couldn't believe Shane caught her staring at him. She would never be able to live this down.

She quickly glanced back at Shane and saw the smirk has evolved into a grin and his head cocked to the side. Her face turned even redder and bit her lip glancing down.

Shane's deep chuckle reverberated across the quiet lake causing her to break out into a sheepish smile.

"You didn't answer my question."

She looked up at him and finally managed to get her face back to its normal color. She took a breath and then smirked. "You wish Pop Star."

He raised his eyebrows, "Oh come on Mitchie I thought you had learned your lesson in lying." He had meant it to be a joke but Mitchie suddenly lost the smirk and frowned. Her jaw clenched and she averted her gaze to the water, guilt written all over her face.

His face fell. "Mitchie I'm sorry I didn't mean...." He sighed and closed his eyes. He mentally slapped himself. The one time he wasn't thinking about saying something stupid in front of her he said something stupid.

She curled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them still staring at the water. "I'm not proud of that Shane." She muttered her voice cracking. "You don't know how much I regret it."

He groaned internally. He couldn't believe he mentioned that around her. Now he was going to make her cry.

"Mitchie I'm so sorry I wasn't trying to make you feel guilty I was…" He didn't even know what he was trying to do. Make a joke? Even that sounded cruel. I'm making a joke about the horrible thing that you did that completely broke my heart Mitchie…yeah…that would go over well.

She looked over at him and smiled softly. "It's alright Shane, I know what you were trying to do, its just that's still a very sensitive topic for me especially because I hurt my mom and I hurt you."

He reached over and placed his hand on top of hers. "I told you Mitchie, I forgive you. Totally and completely. The reason I was upset is because I thought you only wanted to be around me because I'm Shane Gray. That's obviously not the case." He gave her a small smile.

She smiled back. "Thanks Shane but can we please drop the subject?"

He nodded and pulled his hand off of hers and sat back. Mitchie's smile faltered at the loss of contact. She loved the way Shane's hand felt on top of hers.

"So what do you want to talk about?" He asked.

"I want to thank you again for standing up for me in the cafeteria." She said.

He smiled gently. "You're welcome, it was my pleasure. I've seen all she's done around here and I don't like it. Like at the pajama jam how she sabotaged Caitlyn's performance just to get the attention to herself. And at the Beach Jam the way she outed you like that, she should have just minded her own business and then today at the lunchroom. That girl has some serious problems."

Mitchie laughed. "I don't think she'll be bothering anyone anymore. She just wants to impress you and now that you've completely told her off…" She laughed again. "I still can't get over her face she was so shocked!"

"Well no one gets away with calling me Shaney." He shuddered. "I HATE it when people call me that."

"Oh Thanks Shane, glad the only reason you told her off was because of a name."

He gave her a look. "It's not just a name, it's a horrible nickname and you know that it's not the only reason. She called you losers and you guys are probably the coolest people at the camp. And the look on her face when she talked about you, I just wanted to strangle her."

A smile spread across her face. "Really? You think we're the coolest people here?"

He nodded. "Of course I hate people who think they're all that."

"Well that's ironic." She responded with a smirk.

He cocked his head to the side and shot at look at her. "Haha. I know I was like that but I never said I didn't hate myself for it."

"Shane…"

"It's true." He replied. "I didn't want to become like that I just couldn't stop myself. Somewhere I knew the old Shane was still in there he just needed some help to get out. And for THAT I have to thank you."

She smiled sheepishly. "I'm sure you could have done it without me."

He shook his head and stared at her seriously. "No I know that I couldn't have. My frame of mind was totally off and I kept telling myself that I didn't want to change. I had no one that made me want to be different."

Her eyes widened at his implication. She knew what he was talking about but felt the need to ask anyway. She swallowed. "What changed?" She whispered.

He smiled softly. "I met you."

Her cheeks flushed again. She cursed herself mentally, she had to stop this! If she kept blushing around him he would find out that she liked him. And she was sure that he only wanted to be friends with her. After all, what kind of an amazing guy like Shane would like someone like her?

She yelled at herself again. Shane would yell at her if she talked like that about herself. But it was true, she concluded. She hardly believed that he was still around.

"Mitchie?" Shane's voice questioned and she looked up at him. "Do you still doubt yourself?"

She raised her eyebrow. How did he know? Was he reading her mind?

"I…I…" She stuttered in response.

He sighed. "Mit-chie."

"I can't help it Shane." She said quietly. "You're the first one to show interest in me in years."

"Well then that's everybody else's loss. I consider myself lucky that I met you. Besides Nate and Jason you're the only real friend I've had in years."

She cocked her head, "I'm sure you have plenty of friends."

He shook his head. "I have plenty of fake friends who only hang out with me because I'm Shane Gray and it would be good to be seen with me." He explained. "You're my REAL friend. Ya know, I can feel like I can come and talk to you about anything without being judged or without having my deepest inner most secrets put on the front cover of a magazine."

She shook her head, horrified at the thought. "I would never!" She cried.

He nodded with a small smile. "I know and that's why I like you." His eyes widened as soon as the words left his mouth. His breath caught in his chest and he looked to Mitchie for a response.

Mitchie's eyes widened slightly and stared at Shane. Did he mean what she thought he meant? He couldn't though, could he? Still the curiosity was eating her up inside and she had to know.

"Shane…?" She questioned softly.

Shane swallowed. Great…she knew.

"Mitchie I…I…" Fantastic, he was stumbling over his words now. He couldn't believe the effect that this girl had on him. He took a deep breathe. Come on Shane, he told himself, you are the MAN! Just spit it out!

The moment he started stuttering and then took a deep breathe, Mitchie knew what was coming. She felt her heart racing inside her chest and her eyebrows lifted in anticipation.

"I really like you Mitchie." He finally got out. Once he got it out in the open he felt a little bit more relaxed to talk about it. "I hope I don't sound like an insane stalker but I can't stop thinking about you. Ever since I met you I can't get you off of my mind. Even when I was upset with you I still thought about you. Like I said earlier there's something special about you that has me completely captivated."

At his confession her jaw dropped. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. But she knew it had to be true because Shane would never lie to her like that. And the fact that he looked like a nervous school boy trying to ask his crush to a dance also gave it away.

All of a sudden it hit her. Hard. Shane liked her. Shane LIKED her. As in more than just a friend liked. Without realizing it, her hand gripped the side of the boat and started to shake.

Shane glanced from her shaking hand to her face and back and forth a couple of times. What did that mean? For the sake of staying close to Mitchie he hoped it was a good thing.

"Mitchie?" He questioned hesitantly. "Are you ok?" Without allowing her to answer he went on, "If you don't feel the same way, I understand. I know we just met and everything and I was a jerk at first. And if that's the case you can forget everything I just said and we can remain friends."

"No!" She shouted finally finding her voice. He shut his mouth and looked taken a back. She laughed softly, "I…I mean I do. Feel the same way." She finished quietly.

He stared at her a few moments to see if he had really heard correctly and then broke out into a bright smile.

At seeing his smile she couldn't help but smile as well.

As he looked at her he noticed that not only was her hand shaking but her whole body was as well. "You cold?"

Mitchie raised her eyebrow in question and then realized that she was shaking. She had forgotten that she was completely soaked and it was a little breezy out on the lake. "A little." She replied.

"Here." He took his black leather jacket which hadn't gotten as wet in their water fight and leaned over to give it to her. She smiled gratefully and went to take it from him but as soon as she grabbed it with one hand she noticed Shane started to wobble. Before she had any time to warn him he lost his balance and fell forward. She yelped and closed her eyes as Shane landed on her. The boat rocked back and forth and Mitchie thought that it was going to tip over. She held her breath for the long ten seconds that it kept rocking. It finally slowed down and stopped.

Mitchie opened her eyes and found herself face to face with Shane. Just when she had started to breathe again, her breath caught in her chest at how gorgeous he looked this close. The way he was looking at her made her heart race and the fact that she could feel his muscular upper body against hers didn't make her feel any less calm.

Instead of moving upwards to get off of her, Mitchie noticed that Shane's face only seemed to get closer to hers. Her eyes widened slightly and his began to flutter closed. He paused with his lips millimeters from hers.

She felt his hot breath against her mouth. Her eyes began to close and she moved her head up just a fraction of an inch and she felt a spark run through her whole body as her lips very lightly brushed his. Shane took the initiative after that and softly pressed his lips to hers.

The kiss only lasted a few seconds but they were the best few seconds in Mitchie's life. She had had her first kiss with a guy she REALLY liked and it was better than she could have ever imagined.

After a few more moments, Shane lifted himself off of her but never lost eye contact. He didn't move back to the other side of the boat but instead just sat a few inches from her. She pushed herself back up into a sitting position and they both smiled at each other.

Shane's insides were going crazy. His mind was racing, his heart was pounding, and the butterflies attacked his stomach. He had finally told Mitchie how he felt about her and after all of his worrying it turned out she felt exactly the same way. And that kiss. His mind reeled at the thought of that kiss. It wasn't his first kiss, he had had other girlfriends before, but none of them made him feel like Mitchie did. Every other girl he had kissed was blown out of the water and completely forgot about. He loved the natural way his lips melded with hers and the feeling it caused inside. And at the smile on Mitchie's face, he could only guess she liked it too.

"I think there's only one thing left to do now." He said breathlessly.

"What's that?" She replied in the same tone.

He cleared his throat and took her hand in his. "Mitchie Torres, I would be honored if you would be my girlfriend."

Mitchie stared at him in shock, as if she didn't know it was coming, and then broke out into a thousand watt smile. "I would _love_ to be your girlfriend Shane." She didn't tag the 'Gray' on at the end for fear of giving him the wrong message. She wanted to prove that she liked him for him and not because he was a big time super star.

He gave a brilliant smile and pulled her in for another kiss to seal their new found identities.

Once they broke apart, Mitchie maneuvered herself around and leaned up against Shane. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close to him. He rested his head near hers and they just sat there silently, enjoying each other's company.

"SHANE!" They both heard someone's voice call his name and turned their heads toward the shore. Nate stood on the docks and waved his hands in the air to try and get their attention.

Shane groaned and grumbled something about Nate being a moment killer to which Mitchie giggled. "WHAT?" He called back.

"Get back here! Brown's looking all over for you!" Nate yelled to him.

Mitchie gasped and turned her head to look at Shane. "Your class!"

His eyes widened. "Damnit, I forgot all about that." Mitchie climbed out of Shane's lap and picked up her oar. Shane crawled back to his side reluctantly and also grabbed his oar. They paddled back to the shore, managing not to go in circles that often. Shane hopped out of the canoe while it was still in the water, followed by Mitchie and Shane grabbed the tip of the canoe and pulled it back onto the shore.

Mitchie removed her life jacket and tossed it into the canoe. She noticed Shane's jacket still in the boat and grabbed it for him. He had moved up to the dirt path where Nate was standing and she walked up and stood next to him.

Nate looked between the two of them and raised his eyebrows. "Why are you guys all wet?"

"Don't ask." Mitchie and Shane replied at the same time. Nate gave a confused look but dropped it.

"What did Brown say?" Shane asked his band mate.

"He said he was going to kill you if you skipped out on another class." Nate replied.

Mitchie clenched her teeth and furrowed her brow and looked at Shane.

"Thanks for getting me man, I totally would have forgotten."

Nate nodded. "I figured. I looked all over camp for you. I finally heard a yelp from the direction of the lake and ran here as fast as I could."

Mitchie blushed. "H-how much did you see?" She asked shyly.

Nate smirked. "Enough to know that you two aren't exactly just friends."

Mitchie and Shane glanced at each other and Mitchie's cheeks grew even more red. Shane reached out and took her hand in his and gave her a warm smile.

His touch triggered a thought in her head. "Oh!" She lifted the jacket which was in her other hand and extended it to him. "Here."

He shook his head and pushed it back towards her. "You take it."

Her eyes widened. "You--you want me to have your jacket?"

He nodded with a smile.

"But it's your favorite jacket! You wear it everywhere!"

"You're my favorite person so you should have my favorite jacket. Besides," He lowered his voice and leaned close to her ear, "I like the way you look in it."

She blushed yet again when he said that she was his favorite person. And personally, she loved the way his jacket felt around her. She nodded a bit and slipped his jacket on.

Nate cleared his throat alerting the couple to his presence. They both looked back at him and Mitchie smiled sheepishly.

"Shane, you should really get going before Brown shows up." Nate instructed.

Shane nodded. "You're right." He turned to Mitchie one last time. "I'll see you in a few?"

She nodded and grinned. He returned the smile and kissed her softly before reluctantly letting her hand go and heading towards his cabin to get changed out of his wet clothes.

Mitchie tightened the jacket around herself, already missing Shane and then headed off to her own cabin to get changed.

Nate watched them both walk away with smiles lighting up both their faces. He laughed softly and looked up to the sky. "Thank you." He whispered and headed off in his own direction.

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	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Thanks for the reviews everyone!! Here's the next chapter!**_

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock!!!_**

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Mitchie walked towards the dance cabin now dressed in dry clothes. She changed out of her wet clothes and into a pair of sweats and a T-Shirt. She didn't have time to really get ready so she just threw her hair up in a pony tail. Although she quickly observed her appearance and made sure that she looked presentable knowing that she would be seeing Shane. As she left the cabin she left Shane's jacket on top of her bed.

She was thankful that her mother was cleaning up the kitchen and not around to ask why she looked so happy. She knew her mother didn't trust Shane fully and she didn't want to tell her, yet, about her new boyfriend. Although, she knew that her mother already knew that she liked Shane and she did say that she trusted Mitchie's judgment on him. Hopefully that was the truth and she didn't get too upset over it.

Once she thought about it, it wasn't really her mother she was worried about. She knew that once her mother saw Shane's change in behavior she would like him. But her father, well that was another story.

It was true that she had never had a boyfriend but she did go out on a date. Sort of. In eighth grade, this boy Chris, asked her to a farewell dance at the end of the year. When he came to pick her up, her father grilled him and Mitchie noticed that he looked like he wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. The whole dance he acted weird around her and then the next day told her that it wasn't going to work out between them. Mitchie was crushed and wouldn't talk to her father for two days.

And that was just a normal boy. Shane was a celebrity. A celebrity with a record of having a bad attitude. The kind of behavior that her father frowned upon.

But she didn't want to think about that now. All of that she could worry about when her father came for Final Jam. Now she just wanted to live contently with the fact that she had a boyfriend who was probably the most amazing boy on the planet despite his fame.

A bright smile spread across her face when she thought about Shane. Even just the thought of his name sent shivers up and down her body. She could just say his name all day. Shane. Shane, shane, shane, shane. She sighed in contentment.

As she passed the dining hall, she noticed Caitlyn coming out of the kitchen door and stopped to wait for her.

Caitlyn spotted her friend and waved to her. Mitchie waved back and Caitlyn ran over to her. Her face contorted with confusion as she looked Mitchie over. "That's not what you wearing earlier and why is your hair wet? And why are you smiling like that?"

Mitchie laughed. "Inquisitive child aren't you?"

Caitlyn shrugged. "So I've been told."

Mitchie laughed again. "Well I went back to the cabin and changed is that a problem?" She asked in a joking tone.

Caitlyn shook her head and they both headed towards the dance cabin. "I was just wondering. You don't usually change out of your clothes before dance class." Her face lit up and she turned to Mitchie as if just realizing something. "Unless you want to impress a certain Pop star."

"If I wanted to impress him would I be wearing this?" Mitchie motioned to her sweats and t-shirt. She didn't know why she put off telling Caitlyn about her and Shane. Perhaps she just wanted to build it up and then watch Caitlyn's reaction.

"Good point. But you still didn't tell me why your hair is wet and why you're smiling like that."

"Shane and I went out on the lake and we got wet and a girl can't smile?"

Caitlyn grinned. "Ohhhh, you went out on the lake with Shane, no wonder you're smiling."

Mitchie's smile grew at the mention of his name. Caitlyn caught the look and nudged her with her elbow, suggestively. Mitchie rolled her eyes and gave her a look.

"Somebody has a crush, somebody has a crush!" Caitlyn said in sing song and then laughed.

They arrived at the dance cabin and Caitlyn stood on the first step and smirked down at Mitchie.

'Somebody has a boyfriend.' She replied in her head. Her only actual response was a shrug of the shoulder. Caitlyn waggled her eyebrows and then pushed the screen door open.

Mitchie smiled softly and followed her in. As soon as she walked in the room went quiet. Her smile faded when she saw everyone looking at her. She shifted uncomfortably and avoided everyone's gaze.

Tess walked over to stand beside her and Mitchie quietly lifted her head to quickly glance at her. Tess smirked and crossed her arms. "What a joke." She scoffed and walked to the other side of the room.

Mitchie tensed and turned her attention to the wooden floor.

"Hey," Caitlyn said encouragingly, "Don't listen to her alright?"

Mitchie looked up and saw everyone whispering with each other. She didn't quite know what they were whispering about but she an inkling it was about her. She shrugged Caitlyn's hand off her shoulder and retreated to the corner of the room. She lowered herself down onto the floor and wrapped her arms around knees.

Caitlyn watched Mitchie go with a concerned expression. Less than an hour ago she had seen Tess tell her off in the dining hall and Shane came to her rescue. It seemed to her that the whole cafeteria had seen Shane's point and Tess wouldn't be bothering them anymore.

But obviously that wasn't the case. Everyone in the class gave Mitchie looks when she entered and Tess was just plain rude like she always is.

Caitlyn turned her head to look at Tess, who was chatting with Peggy and Ella, and shot a cold glare at her. She sighed and walked towards the center of the room and then started stretching.

A few moments later, the door opened and Shane walked in, wearing the same exact same smile Mitchie held not too long ago. He had changed into white skinny jeans, a black button up shirt and black converses.

He didn't seem to notice that Mitchie was off in the corner. He only guessed that she was part of the crowd. "Hey Guys." He greeted his class and made his way up to the front of the room. The class gave a corroborate greeting back.

He scanned the classroom and his smile faltered when he couldn't see Mitchie among the smiling faces. He looked at Caitlyn to see if she knew where she was. Caitlyn caught his gaze and looked over to the corner of the room.

Shane followed her line of vision and the smile completely fell from his face. There sat his girlfriend, obviously upset, in the corner of the room by herself.

He turned to the CD player and turned on some music. "Alright guys warm yourselves up…I'll be with you shortly."

After everyone started stretching and doing their own warm up routines he walked straight to Caitlyn. "What happened?" He asked in a low voice.

"Need you ask?" She replied, sending a cold look towards Tess's direction. Shane scowled at Tess and then made his way over to Mitchie.

He knelt down in front of her. "Mitchie…" He called softly trying to get her to look at him. When she didn't budge he tried again. "Mitchie." He reached over and placed his hand on her knee. "Come on look at me."

Mitchie finally lifted her head and her bloodshot eyes met Shane's. Worry and concern was written in his brown eyes. "What's the matter?"

She shrugged lightly and glanced back down again. He placed his finger under her chin and lifted her head to make her look at him. "Mitch, talk to me."

"It's nothing." She whispered.

"Mitchie," He stated seriously, "Sitting alone in a corner with tears in your eyes is not nothing. Not for you."

"Everyone hates me." She finally admitted.

"What?" Shane asked sounding surprised. "Mitchie, that's not true."

"It is!" She insisted. "You should have seen everyone's face when I walked in Shane. They all hate me."

"They don't hate you." Shane tried to reassure her. "You saw the reaction in the cafeteria."

"They were just cheering for you; they would cheer for you no matter what you say."

Shane opened his mouth to retaliate but shut it a moment later, knowing what she said was the truth.

"Mitchie…" He finally said. "Caitlyn told me that Tess said something to you when you walked in." Mitchie nodded in confirmation. "What did she say?"

"She said I was a joke." She replied, her voice cracking.

A dark looked crossed Shane's features. He narrowed his eyes and glanced over his shoulder to glare at the blonde quickly.

"Look Mitchie," He started once he turned back to her, "You're not a joke. You can't let what she says get to you."

"Sometimes I can't help it Shane." She whispered.

"Do you trust me?" Shane asked out of the blue.

She locked eyes with him and almost look appalled that he would ask that. "Of course I trust you!"

"Then trust me when I say they don't hate you."

He smiled softly and with his free hand, caressed the side of her face. "People like her have issues." Shane muttered to her making sure that no one heard him.

A smile broke her broken façade and she chuckled softly. He grinned and tapped her nose with his fingertip. "Now that's more like it."

She smiled up at him thinking only one thing. He was truly the best boyfriend ever. "Thank you."

"I hate seeing you upset." He replied and rose to his feet and offered a hand to her to help her up. She grabbed his hand and as she went to stand up, he leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

Once she was up on her feet, she looked him in the face and saw that smile of his that made her heart flip. She threw her arms around him a hug and closed her eyes to block out the rest of the class so it was like it just her and Shane.

Shane's arms tightened around her waist and they stayed that way for a good fifteen seconds. Shane loosened his grip on her and pulled away a little and whispered in her ear, "As much as I would love to stay like this I do have a class to teach."

Mitchie opened her eyes slowly and observed the class who were all now staring at them. The boys held curious looks while the girls held envious ones. Tess just stood there with her eyes narrowed and Caitlyn stood smirking.

Mitchie cleared her throat softly and reluctantly pulled away from Shane. He gave her an apologetic look and she shook her head, smiling softly, telling him it was alright.

Shane smiled at her once more before heading to the front of the room and Mitchie walked over to stand next to Caitlyn.

Caitlyn raised her eyebrows motioning her head towards Shane. Mitchie grinned sheepishly and shrugged her shoulders. She knew that she would be getting loads of questions from Caitlyn later.

Shane shut off the music and explained to the class what they were going to do that day. They were just about done with the routine that he had been teaching them since the first class, he just had a few more moves to teach them. After he went over the new part a few times and it looked like the whole class had gotten it he turned on the song and told them to take it from the top.

He stood back and watched as the class danced across the room, occasionally throwing out compliments such as, "Good job guys!" and "Keep going! You're doing great!"

Although he did watch the whole class, he couldn't help but be drawn to Mitchie. Among her fantastic singing talent, she was also a very good dancer. She picked up on the moves very quickly and performed them well. And just like when she sang, she put emotion into it, which was the key to good dancing.

He ran the whole song a couple of times just for them to get the new part down.

Once practically the whole class had it down, even Andy, he looked at the clock and noticed that there was still ten minutes left until the end of the class. Because of his incredibly good mood, he dismissed the class early.

The class, glad to be out of there early after a tiring dance session, practically ran out of the door. All except three girls.

Mitchie and Caitlyn stood chatting with each other; slowly their making their way to the door and Tess stood lingering near the doorway.

Shane, suddenly protective of his girlfriend, didn't like the fact that Tess was in the same room with her. "Tess!" He called out her name which brought the attention of the three girls to him. Tess' face lit up at the fact that Shane was calling her name and Mitchie and Caitlyn stopped walking and watched Shane curiously to see what he would do.

Shane approached Tess and her grin furthered. His face showed no amusement however. "Class was dismissed Tess, you may leave." He told her as calmly as possible.

She frowned and looked over to where Mitchie and Caitlyn stood. "Caitlyn and Mitchie are still here."

"I have to talk to Mitchie and Caitlyn." He explained. "And no part of our conversation is any of your business."

Tess looked between Shane's serious face and Caitlyn and Mitchie. She scoffed and turned and left the room.

Shane waited until she disappeared from sight before turning to Caitlyn and Mitchie.

"What did you have to talk to us about?" At their apprehensive faces he gave them a reassuring smile.

"Nothing." He replied chuckling softly, "I just wanted her out of here."

Mitchie and Caitlyn looked at each other, grinned and then they both started laughing.

"Well it certainly is nice to hear your laughter again Mitch." Shane stated.

Both girls laughter died down but the smile remained on Mitchie's face. Caitlyn turned to Mitchie and placed her hand on her hips. "Yeah, what was up with that?"

Mitchie shrugged and Shane answered for her. "She thought everyone hated her."

"Well they were whispering when I came in! I've had millions of past experiences with people whispering about me." Mitchie justified.

"Actually, they weren't whispering about you." Caitlyn said. "They were whispering about Tess."

At Mitchie's skeptical look, she continued, nodding. "It's the truth! They were saying how big of a brat Tess is being. They all agreed with what Shane said in the cafeteria. It was a mistake. No one is perfect and they've all lied before."

"But it wasn't as big as mine." Mitchie pointed out.

"But also like Shane said your mother forgave you what should it matter to anyone else?"

Mitchie stared at Caitlyn a few moments thinking about what she said. She looked at Shane and he nodded, confirming Caitlyn's point. She glanced back at Caitlyn and smiled. She hugged Caitlyn tightly and laughed softly. "Thanks guys." She said once she pulled away, looking at both of them. "You're the best."

"Oh I know I am," Caitlyn smirked, "But I don't know about Pop star over there." She pointed over her shoulder to Shane.

His jaw dropped in mock offense and he looked at Mitchie. "You have her saying it too?!"

Mitchie smirked and raised her hands in the air innocently.

"She has nothing to do with it." Caitlyn responded. "I've always called you a Pop Star."

"I am a ROCK Star." Shane stressed the 'rock' part of his sentence.

Caitlyn and Mitchie looked at each other and sniggered quietly, starting to head out of the cabin. "Keep telling yourself that." Caitlyn called over her shoulder.

Shane crossed his arms and made a face at their retreating forms. Mitchie, while Caitlyn was faced the other way, turned around to look at Shane and blew him a kiss and waved at him.

He smirked, rolled his eyes, but pretended to catch it and brought his hand to his lips.

She smiled and turned back around to walk with Caitlyn.

The girls were still laughing when they got to Mitchie's cabin. They walked in and Caitlyn threw herself down onto Mitchie's bed, not noticing the black jacket behind her at first.

"I am so glad we have Shane on our side." Caitlyn said to Mitchie who nodded and walked over to the mirror and started fixing up her hair. "I thought Tess was going to win him over."

Mitchie shuddered at the thought of Tess hanging around Shane. Her Shane. "That is a terrifying thought."

Caitlyn nodded in agreement and rested her hands behind her. Her left hand landed on something that was not a blanket and she looked over her shoulder to see what it was. She sat up and took the leather jacket in hands and placed it on her lap.

"Mitchie?" She questioned.

"Hmm?" Mitchie responded now looking in the dresser for something to change into.

"Is this Shane's?"

Mitchie spun around and her eyes widened at the sight of his leather jacket on her friends lap. She opened her mouth to say something but nothing would come out and her cheeks flushed.

Caitlyn's eyes widened in realization and she hopped off the bed, grinning. "Oh My God!" She went out of her regular personality and squealed. "No way!"

Mitchie's mouth shut and she raised her eyebrows as if to ask what she was talking about.

"You guys are going out! The guy giving a girl his jacket is a classic sign of dating!"

Instead of denying it, Mitchie grinned and nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, he's my boyfriend."

"I knew it! I knew there was something between you two! When did this happen?" She asked excitedly.

"Actually not even two hours ago. When we were on the canoe he confessed his feelings and asked me to be his girlfriend." Mitchie explained happily.

"Now was this before or after you got wet?" Caitlyn asked jokingly.

Mitchie laughed. "After. I called him a Pop star and he splashed me so I splashed him back and we got into a splash war."

"He doesn't like it when you call him a Pop star does he?"

Mitchie smirked and shook her head. "Not at all. But I still do it anyway because its fun to see his reactions."

Caitlyn laughed. "That is true."

Mitchie laughed and Caitlyn sighed, none of them hearing the cabin door opening. "I still can't believe you're dating him!"

Mitchie was about to respond when another voice broke in.

"Dating who?"

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_**A/N: ……..REVIEW PLEASE!!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: I feel bad because this a little bit shorter than the rest of my chapters but I had no more ideas. AH! I hope you like it anyway! **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock! **_

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Mitchie's wide eyes met Caitlyn's and she tensed. She slowly spun around to meet to see her mother giving her a questioning look.

"Mitchie?" She questioned again and Mitchie smiled sheepishly. Mitchie cleared her throat and rubbed the back of her neck. "Uh…" She laughed nervously. She knew there would be no avoiding the question. Her mother definitely heard Caitlyn say she was dating someone.

"I…uhm…Shane asked me to be his girlfriend and I said yes." She said quietly.

"Shane?" Connie questioned. "Shane _Gray_?"

Mitchie nodded quietly.

Connie furrowed her brow "Didn't you just make up this morning?"

Was it? Was it only that morning that they just made up? Was it only yesterday that Shane Gray wouldn't even look at her? It seemed like such a long time ago. Well she did remember waking up that morning feeling like her whole world had fallen apart. It was amazing how her life completely turned around in just a matter of hours. One minute she was hated by the whole camp the next she was girlfriend of Pop Sensation Shane Gray.

"Shane always had feelings for her." Caitlyn answered Connie's question. Connie and Mitchie's head snapped towards her and Mitchie raised an eyebrow.

"It's true!" Caitlyn replied at Mitchie's look. "Did you not see the way he looked at you?"

Mitchie shook her head softly. "No…"

Caitlyn scoffed. "At the Beach Jam when they performed, God Mitchie he couldn't keep his eyes off of you."

Mitchie's cheeks turned a light pink. And Connie got a look of recognition on her face and she nodded softly. "Now that you mention it Caitlyn, I do remember seeing that."

"And like Shane said earlier in the cafeteria he wouldn't have gone off like that for just anybody."

Mitchie smiled softly and at that moment remembered every time they had flirted.

"_Why are you looking at me like that?" Mitchie asked shyly. _

"_I don't know." Shane replied. "You seem different. Good different." _

"_Yeah…definitely different." _

_()()()()_

"_So does your voice sound better over here?" _

"_Why don't we get into one of these things and you can tell me?" _

_()()()()_

"_So have you found your special girl yet?" _

"_Why are you jealous?"_

"_Jerk!" _

_()()()()_

"_Come on! I know you're really not a jerk, I mean you're helping Andy with his dancing and those screaming girls seem to like you."_

"_Which brings me back to the whole jealous thing." _

"_I take that back you are a jerk!" _

_()()()()_

She snapped out of her memories when someone snapped their fingers in front of her face. Mitchie shook her head to clear her thoughts and found Caitlyn smirking at her. "Thinking about Shane?"

Mitchie blushed and smiled shyly. "How'd you know?"

Caitlyn chuckled. "All of a sudden you got this really goofy grin on your face and a far away look in your eyes."

"So Mitchie," Connie stated bring the attention of both the younger girls to her, "When you were planning on telling me about this?"

"Soon." Mitchie replied sheepishly. At Connie's look she continued, "I was! I was just trying to figure out the right time to do it. Are you mad?"

Connie sighed and shook her head. "No sweetie I'm not mad."

"Really?" Mitchie's face lit up and she grinned.

"I see how happy this boy makes you. But I'm just letting you know now before camp ends I am having a talk with him. I promise I won't grill him I just want to make sure you're in good hands."

Mitchie ran over to Connie and hugged her gratefully. "Thank you mom!" She pulled back and smiled up at her. "You won't be disappointed! Shane's a really good guy."

Caitlyn nodded, trying to help get Mitchie's point across. "He really is Mrs. Torres. If you would have just met him today you would never have believed he was such a jerk. You should have seen him today at his class, when we walked in Tess insulted Mitchie and she got upset. Shane distracted the class and went and cheered Mitchie up and then at the end of class snapped at Tess when she wouldn't leave the room. He got all protective of Mitchie it was so cute!"

"Oh stop!" Mitchie shoved her playfully and glanced at the ground, smiling.

"It's true though! And how about that hug it looked like you two could stay that way forever."

Mitchie smiled brightly and sighed dreamily just thinking about that hug. "Yeah…" She loved the feeling of being in his arms. It felt right and she felt safe and protected. That no matter what was happening around her as long as she was in his arms none of it would matter.

"Uh oh Caitlyn I think we lost her again." Connie remarked.

Caitlyn laughed and nodded. "I think we should stop mentioning Shane around her. Oh…oops there she goes again."

Mitchie made a face and grabbed a pillow and whacked Caitlyn with it to which Caitlyn laughed. "I'm not that bad! Am I?"

"What comes to mind when I say Shane?"

Mitchie smiled dreamily and hummed in laughter. "Totally amazing boyfriend." She caught herself and groaned. "Oh I am that bad." She whined and buried her face in her hands. Connie and Caitlyn chuckled softly and Connie walked over to her wrapping her arm around her daughter.

"It's alright sweetie. Every girl gets like this at least once in her life."

Mitchie lifted her head from her hands. "Were you ever like this about Dad?"

Connie smiled and nodded. "Oh yes indeed. You know the story Mitch. I didn't like him at first, I thought he was trying to hard to get me and it was rather annoying. But our clever friends set us up and locked us in a room by ourselves and we got to talking and he was a really nice guy and funny and sweet. About a week later we went out on our first day and I couldn't shut up about him. My friends joked around saying that they regretted ever setting us up. Ever since that first date I have never loved him any less."

Mitchie and Caitlyn were now seated on top of Mitchie's bed. They were both intrigued by Connie's story even though Mitchie had heard it before.

"Did you know that he was the one you were going to marry?" Caitlyn asked.

"Well not at first. You know I didn't come home after our first date and say that I was going to marry him, but I definitely knew that we were going to be together for a while. I think it took almost a year to know that he was difinetely the one. I always had thoughts that he might be the one throughout the relationship."

"How _did_ you finally know?"

"It was all of the little things." Connie replied with a smile and sat on the edge of the bed. Mitchie and Caitlyn scooted back to give her some more room. "But when I really knew was when he told off his father for me. I really didn't know why his father didn't like me that much but he didn't and Steve finally had enough and told him that he didn't care what he said or thought he was going to be with me no matter what."

Mitchie and Caitlyn 'awwed'.

"His father greatly respected that for some reason and a few weeks later gave his blessing on me. My father died when I was little and the strange part was Steve's father became and still is the father I never had."

Mitchie grinned. She loved hearing the story about her parents meeting and falling in love. She was just a romantic like that.

"That is so sweet." Caitlyn commented with a smile.

"What about you Cait?" Mitchie asked suddenly and Caitlyn turned to her with furrowed brows.

"Have you ever felt that way about a guy?"

Caitlyn's eyes widened and she laughed nervously. "No."

Mitchie and her mother shared a look. Then Mitchie smirked and moved closer to Caitlyn. "Spill…NOW!"

Then Caitlyn blushed. Caitlyn Marie Gellar actually _blushed._ And that was when Mitchie knew for sure Caitlyn had felt that way about a boy and possibly still did. "Who?" Mitchie squealed suddenly feeling like the sixteen year old girl that she was.

Caitlyn looked shyly between Mitchie and Connie. "You promise you won't tell?"

Mitchie and Connie nodded. "It will never leave this room." Mitchie promised.

"And you can't say _anything_ to Shane." Caitlyn said sternly to Mitchie.

"Why would I say anything to Sh-" She gasped and her eyes widened in realization. "Is it Nate or Ja-" As soon as she said the youngest member of Connect 3's name, Caitlyn glanced down at the comforter on the bed and Mitchie grinned, having her answer. "Oh My God, you like Nate!" She squealed. Caitlyn's head snapped up and she leaped up and covered Mitchie's mouth with her hand. "Shut up! Don't say it so loud!"

Mitchie mumbled a sorry from underneath Caitlyn's hand. Caitlyn sighed and removed her hand from over Mitchie's mouth revealing that Mitchie still hadn't lost her grin.

"I never expected that one." Mitchie remarked. "Sooo…tell all. Did it just start this summer?"

Caitlyn shook her head. "Oh no. It started four years ago, it was Nate and I's first year here and we were both assigned to the beginner's class. We, along with a few other students, were young but upon audition were able to come into the camp. And so we became friends quickly and by the time camp had ended I developed this HUGE crush on him. We lost contact over the school year and I was looking forward to seeing him again the next year at Camp Rock. The first few days were fine we hung out just like we did the year before but then he met Shane and Jason. We kept drifting further and further apart as he kept spending time with Shane and Jason and their band." She sighed and heaved her shoulders and up and down. "No time for little old Caitlyn Gellar. Once they won final jam I went to go congratulate him but the press was on him and Shane and Jason and they whisked him off to stardom. That was the last time I ever talked to him. I'm convinced he doesn't even know who I am anymore."

Mitchie had lost the grin on her face and now it was full of sympathy for her friend. "Cait, I'm sorry. That must have been so hard watching your friend and the guy you liked just change before your eyes."

Caitlyn looked up and met Mitchie's eyes. "He didn't change. Everything I've heard from news reports and interviews, he's still the same Nate I knew four years ago just with a lot more fame."

"Well if he is the same guy it sounded like you two were good friends." Connie tried to comfort her. "I don't think he would forget about you."

Caitlyn shrugged. "He didn't come to say goodbye before he left camp three years ago. And I was there at Beach Jam; he didn't come up to me and say hi or anything. It's like he didn't even know I existed."

"Maybe he's missing you as much as you are missing him." Connie suggested. "There is a possibility that he did see you but didn't know what to say."

"I don't know Mrs. Torres." Caitlyn said doubtfully. "I gave him my number after the first year and he never called me. I'm just someone of his past." Caitlyn fell back onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling. "Now he's international rock star Nate Brown. And I hate saying it of risk of sounding too cliché but every time I see him on T.V. or even live I get butterflies in my stomach."

Mitchie leaned over Caitlyn and stared down at her. "Are you sure you don't want me to talk to Shane?"

"No!" Caitlyn screeched bolting up nearly knocking heads with Mitchie.

"I could just ask him to talk to Nate or see if he knows if Nate has talked about you." Mitchie offered and Caitlyn shook her head vigorously.

"No, that's very kind of you Mitchie, but I can't. I mean, you're lucky I told you."

Mitchie nodded slightly and smiled in understanding. "Alright, but the offer always stands, just say the word."

Caitlyn smiled in thanks and hugged Mitchie quickly. Once she pulled away she gave her a serious look. "You promise you won't say anything?"

Mitchie shook her head. "Mum's the word!"

Caitlyn smirked and Mitchie grinned. Caitlyn let out a laugh and reached over and hugged Mitchie again.

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_**A/N: Yeah I know it was short but it's just a filler chapter really. Drama will start next chapter, I think. And you were introduced to Naitlyn. And although this will be a mostly Smitchie fic, as much as I love smitchie it can sometimes get monotonous and we need a few more couples brought in there occasionally. And next to Smitchie, Naitlyn is my favorite couple in Camp Rock. **_

_**So review please! It's almost Christmas and Chanukah has already started so no matter what you celebrate I give this chapter to you and you can give me a review in return! **_

_**Merry Christmahanukwanzakah to all! REVIEW!**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: I'm sorry I haven't updated I just had a lot of ideas for my other story!! I don't know if this chapter will be good but I hope you like it! Not much Smitchie this chapter, it's mostly focused on Nate and Caitlyn. **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock!**_

* * *

Shane, after cleaning up his room, and locking the door, headed back to his cabin for a shower. As he walked he let his mind wander. A small smile played his lips as he thought about how lucky he was. He had come to (or been forced to come to) camp to get his attitude readjusted. At the start of camp he thought he would be lucky if he could even change a little although he didn't think that would happen (and at that time he really didn't want to try). And now he had changed, his attitude did a full 180 and he got a wonderful, beautiful girlfriend.

He couldn't believe that just that morning he woke up upset and starting to hate the world again. He couldn't believe that that earlier that morning he would have growled if someone mentioned Mitchie's name but now his heart soared at even the thought of her. Either way he looked at it, it still came back to the same thing. He had it bad for this girl.

He wondered what everyone would think once they got word about his change. For now only Camp Rock knew of his change and the world was waiting on the edge of their seats waiting to hear if sending him there straightened him out. He wondered how it was going to come out. Would he just tell them? Would they believe him? Or would he be able to show it somehow? Was his change obvious just by looking at him? There wouldn't be any reports on him storming off of sets like usual so that would be a clue. He would be smiling more, as long as Mitchie is on his mind that would be a definite. He wouldn't give attitude to reporters and would sure as hell be nicer to his fans.

And what about Connect 3's change in music? How would the public react to that? Mitchie told him that she would definitely buy his song and the reaction from the group at the Beach Jam was good too. The public seemed to like the 'Cookie Cutter Pop Star' stuff they were playing but perhaps that's because they didn't know any better. Perhaps they thought that that was the music that Connect 3 chose for themselves. Hopefully when they heard the new sound they would like it just as much.

And then finally his mind drifted towards Mitchie again. He definitely wanted to continue their relationship out of Camp Rock; this couldn't be just a summer fling. He wondered how the public was going to react to her. How the fans were going to react to her. He figured that most of the girl population would dislike her because she stole Shane Gray away from them. But he hoped that the sane portion of his fans considered the fact that if it wasn't for Mitchie, he wouldn't have changed. And he believed that to be true. Just sending him to Camp wouldn't have done anything. It was the person he met at Camp that really changed him.

And it was a rare sight to see a celebrity with a non-celebrity girlfriend. Usually celebrities only connected with other celebrities. How well would that go over with the public? He pushed the worrisome thought away from his mind. He didn't really care, he was not ashamed to admit that Mitchie was his girlfriend. He would go out into public proudly with his arm around her and a smile on his face, telling everyone around him that Mitchie Torres was his girl. But he also knew that Mitchie wouldn't be used to the publicity and that it would be hard for her to adapt to it. He would have to talk to her later about what to do about going public with their relationship.

As he neared his cabin he heard the sound of a guitar and it sounded like it was coming from inside his cabin. His eyes narrowed and he sprinted all the way back to his cabin with the thought in mind that someone had snuck into his cabin and started to play his guitar. He peeked in through the window and relaxed when he saw the back of Nate sitting on the bed with his guitar.

He quietly pushed open the door and took a few steps inside him. Nate didn't move which either meant he didn't hear Shane or just chose to ignore him. Shane continued his way in and stood next to his bed. As he listened to the chords that Nate was playing he noticed it sounded familiar.

"Hello Beautiful?"

Nate snapped up his head in surprise and then relaxed when he saw Shane. He smirked up at him. "Thanks for the compliment Shane but I don't roll that way."

Shane gave him a look and took a seat beside him. "You know what I meant."

Nate chuckled softly and nodded. "Yeah." He closed his eyes and continued to strum the strings on the guitar.

"You thinking about that girl again?" Shane asked.

Nate nodded gently not saying a word.

Shane rose from the bed and went over to his dresser to get new clothes for him to change into. Nate opened his eyes, sensing Shane's movement, watched him for a moment and then closed his eyes again.

"What was her name again?" Shane asked heading towards the bathroom.

"Caitlyn." Nate responded quietly.

"Oh right." Shane nodded and went into the bathroom. Nate looked over to the closed door, still playing the same song. He started to hum the melody and turned back to stare at the wall.

About thirty seconds later the bathroom door slammed open and Nate glanced up in surprise. Shane stood in the doorway, his hand leaning up against the door frame his eyes wide.

"Mitchie's friend Caitlyn?!"

"Mitchie has a friend named Caitlyn?" Nate asked and then his nose scrunched up with a look of disgust. "And dude put some pants on."

Shane looked down and saw that he was only in a pair of boxer shorts. He shrugged it off and walked into the room anyway. Nate rolled his eyes and averted his gaze even though, living on a tour bus for so long, he had seen Shane in his underwear before.

"Yeah, she was hanging out with her today at lunch and during my class. She kinda looked like the Caitlyn you hung out with three years ago."

"I'm surprised you even knew what she looked like." Nate muttered.

Shane furrowed his brow and sat beside Nate which made Nate slide over on the bed. "What do you mean by that?"

"You always tore me away from her before I even had a chance to introduce you. Sometimes you didn't even bother to say hi to her you just grabbed me and ran." Nate explained bitterly.

"Sorry." Shane replied sheepishly.

Nate rolled his eyes. "Whatever, it's in the past it doesn't matter anymore." He sighed. "She probably doesn't even remember who I am."

"How could she not remember who you are? Your name and face is everywhere!"

Nate raised his eyebrows as if to say Shane had a point but then continued with his own. "But she probably doesn't want to see me. I mean I did leave without saying goodbye." He stressed the last sentence, sending a glare in Shane's direction.

Shane looked taken aback. "You're blaming that on me too?!"

"Well it is your fault! I tried to go look for her but you and Jason pulled me away."

Shane opened his mouth to say something and then closed it again. He lifted his shoulders in a shrug and gave his friend a sheepish smile.

He sighed and shook his head. "I don't know why we're even talking about this. I don't know if that's even her. You said it kind of looked like her but that doesn't mean its her."

"But there is a good chance that it is her." Shane said giving him a pointed look. "She works in the kitchen with Mitchie…they should be down there now." He gave him a blatant wink and clapped his hand on his shoulder. He patted his shoulder a few time and then headed once again for the bathroom.

About twenty five minutes later, he reemerged from the bathroom, whistling 'This Is Me'. He jumped when he found Nate still sitting on his bed. "What are you still doing here?"

Nate shrugged silently and Shane sighed in frustration. He walked over to him and stood in front of him with his arms crossed, giving him a stern look. "You get your butt over to that kitchen or I will carry you there and you know that I will."

"But what if it's not her? And I look like an idiot trying to look for a girl who's not here? Or what if she's a crazy fan girl? Or worse…what if it is her and she hates my guts?"

"Or what if she likes you just as much as you like her and you two live happily ever after?"

Nate raised his eyebrows and gave him a look that said, 'come on, really?'.

Shane shrugged. "You never know."

"Wow Shane Mitchie's really got you hooked doesn't she?"

Shane cocked an eyebrow at him.

"You're talking like you're out of a fairytale book." Nate explained.

Shane smiled softly and shrugged. "Maybe you should think like that too, Nate."

"This isn't a fairytale Shane." Nate told him seriously. "And I'm no Prince Charming."

"Well," Shane grabbed both of wrists and yanked him onto his feet, "Perhaps not but you'll never know what could happen if you just sit here and mope."

"I think I liked the old Shane better." Nate muttered. "He didn't make me doing anything that I didn't want to."

Shane chuckled softly and pushed him towards the door. "This will be good for you Nate. You've been silently pining over this Caitlyn girl for the past four years. It's about time you did something." He pulled open the door with one hand and dragged Nate through. Nate stood in the door way and glared at him. Shane smirked and pushed him out of the door way so he was fully outside and then shut the door in his face and locked the door. He motioned with his hand for him to go and grinned.

Nate narrowed his eyes at him and huphed. He turned on his heel and headed away from the cabin. Shane smirked in triumph and returned to his whistling, heading back towards his bed.

* * *

Nate knocked on the wood next to the screen door to the kitchen. He rocked back and forth on his heels nervously peering in through the net and into the kitchen.

Connie looked up from what she was doing at the knock. She looked over and saw a curly haired, slightly familiar looking boy, standing outside. She wiped her hands on her apron and saw Mitchie look up where she was on the other side of the kitchen. Connie walked over to the door and opened it. "Can I help you?"

"Um…y-yes…" Nate stuttered nervously. Mitchie walked over and stood beside her mother to see who was at the door.

"Nate?" She questioned, cocking her head to the side.

"Mitchie, you know this boy?" Connie asked motioning towards Nate.

Mitchie nodded with a small smile. "He's Shane's friend. He does vocals and plays the guitar in Connect 3."

"Oh. OH! So this is Nate." Connie smiled knowingly, raising her eyebrows at Mitchie.

Nate gave them both a confused look and Mitchie's eyes widened as she sent a silent message to her mother to be quiet. Connie hummed quietly, lifted her shoulders, bit her lip and then turned back to go to work.

Mitchie turned to Nate, cleared her throat and then smiled.

"So what's up Nate?"

"Um, Shane told me that you have a friend named Caitlyn and that she works in the kitchen with you. Is she here?"

Mitchie's eyes widened for a second and a grin spread across her face. "She sure is." She stepped aside to allow Nate in. "Come on in." She ushered him in and Nate muttered a thank you.

"Stay right here I'll be right back with Caitlyn."

She turned and let out a tiny squeal and her grin broadened. She hastened across the room and into the storage closet where Caitlyn was putting away supplies.

"Hey Mitch." Caitlyn greeted not looking up from what she was doing. After a few seconds after she got no response from her friend, she slowly turned around and saw Mitchie grinning at her. Caitlyn furrowed her brow. "What did you just see Shane or something?"

"Nooo." Mitchie replied happily. "But close enough."

Caitlyn gave her an odd look and grabbed a few boxes of plastic forks from the box that was on the floor and put them on the shelf. "What could make you happier than Shane?"

"It has nothing to do with me. It has to do with you."

"What are you talking about?" Caitlyn asked clearly confused. Mitchie let out a little laugh, grabbed the boxes from her hand, placed them back in the box on the floor and grabbed her wrist.

"What are you doing?" Caitlyn asked her.

Without a word Mitchie pulled her out of the closet and towards the area where Nate was standing.

"Mitchie will you please explain what you are-" Her eyes widened when they landed on the curly haired boy standing in the middle of the kitchen with a facial expression that mirrored hers. She gripped onto Mitchie's arm tightly and just stared at him.

Mitchie raised her eyebrows and stared at the two who kept staring at each other. She pried her arm away from Caitlyn's and took a few steps back. "Well have fun you two." She then retreated back to the supply closet to finish Caitlyn's job.

Caitlyn wanted to turn around and call Mitchie back but felt that she couldn't move from her spot nor say anything.

Nate narrowed his eyes curiously and took a step closer to her. "Caitlyn? Caitlyn Gellar?"

Caitlyn felt herself shiver at the sound of his voice saying her name. She let out wry smile and shrugged her shoulders. "In the flesh."

He straightened himself up and his eyes widened slightly. "Wow…you look…different."

"Well, I needed a change. The Tomboy look wasn't really working for me anymore." She glanced down at her outfit and then back up to him and shrugged. "I like it."

"Yeah." He muttered mistily. "I like it too."

She stared at him for a good few moments and then turned her head downwards as she felt a blush rise to her cheeks. She glanced up at him, still trying to hide her face from view. "So, what are you doing here?"

"Well Shane called me and Jason over to perform at the Beach Jam and-"

She lifted her head and gave him a look. "I know why you're here. But why are you _here_?" She pointed down to the floor. "In the kitchen?"

"Oh." He chuckled nervously rubbing his upper arm. "Well I, uh, I came to see you."

Caitlyn tried not to look surprised even though she was. "Oh really? How did you know I was here?"

"Shane." Nate answered. "He told me that you worked in the kitchen with Mitchie."

"Oh did he now?" She took a few steps forward and walked past Nate. Nate turned on his heel and followed behind her. She suddenly spun around and caught him off guard and he went stumbling backwards. He reached out and placed his hand on the counter next to him to steady himself.

"I'm surprised you even remembered who I was." She snapped at him.

"Of course I remember who you are. We were best friends Caitlyn."

Her eyes narrowed and she took a few steps forward and poked a finger in his chest. "Best friends don't leave without saying goodbye." She hissed.

Regret flickered in Nate's brown eyes as he watched Caitlyn walk past him again. He turned to look over his shoulder at her and then completed the turn so the front of his body was facing her.

"You get two new friends and start a band with them. And then you win Final Jam and everything changes. You suddenly don't have time to say a simple goodbye to your 'best friend' and go off to live your life of fame!"

"It wouldn't have been a simple goodbye. I couldn't just say goodbye and leave." Nate said the confidence returning to his voice but it still held a soft, gentleness.

She laughed bitterly. "Oh so you leave without saying at all? You think that was better?"

"It wasn't my fault Caitlyn."

She scoffed, rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"It's true! Shane and Jason wanted to leave as soon as they could. I wanted to say goodbye to you but they pulled me away without giving me a chance to say anything. That's what happens when you're the baby of the group." Nate explained.

Caitlyn stared at him hardly, going over what he just said in her mind. She softened when she realized that his excuse was plausible. She was the youngest of four children and she knew how bossy older boys could be. And Nate wasn't exactly the loudest thirteen year old so she could understand how Shane and Jason could have just dragged him away.

And then something else sparked in her brain and her gaze hardened again. "I gave you my number. You could have called."

Nate suddenly looked very sheepish. "Well, you see I would have, if I hadn't lost it."

"You lost it." She said blankly.

He nodded and gave her a small, apologetic smile. "Yeah, I had it one day and then the next time I checked it was gone."

"So let me get this straight." She uncrossed one of her arms and pointed at him thoughtfully. "You're excuses for not saying goodbye or not talking to me for last three years are that Shane and Jason didn't let you and that you lost my phone number."

He winced slightly. "I know those are some pretty lame excuses but its true. Caitlyn I could never forget you and I would have called you if I could've."

She bit her lip and narrowed her eyes at him thoughtfully. She observed him and saw that he basically stayed the same there were some minor differences. He had the same curly, unruly, hair, and the same brown eyes. His face remained the same except for the maturity that just came with age. He had gotten taller and his gaunt, twelve year old body had developed into a more muscular lean. And she couldn't help but be drawn to his muscular arms. But all in all, he was still the same Nate she knew four years ago. And at that thought, everything from their first summer together came rushing back and a smile spread across her face.

At the sight of her smile, Nate grew hopeful that maybe she wasn't as mad at him as he thought.

She nodded slowly. "Alright Nate, I believe you."

"Really?" Nate asked his eyes all lit up. "Does that mean you forgive me?"

She smiled and laughed softly. "Yes, that means I forgive you."

Nate smiled at her and they just stared at each other for a good while, occasionally letting out bursts of tiny laughter.

"So, where does this leave us?" Nate asked.

Caitlyn shrugged. "I don't know."

"How about we pick up where we left off." He suggested. He opened his arms towards her. "Friends?"

She smiled slightly and moved into his arms. As she felt his muscular arms wrap around her small frame she couldn't help but think she wanted more. But she had just gotten Nate back into her life and that was more than she could ever ask for.

"Friends."

* * *

_**A/N: Don't worry Naitlyn fans they're not going to be just friends forever. You're looking at a total romance freak and any chance I have to put a couple together I will.**_

_**And I lied the drama I had planned was not this chapter. But it will probably be, I'm ninety percent sure, in the next chapter. But it's nothing new, if you think about what happens next in the actual movie Camp Rock, then you'll figure it out. It just has Shane on Mitchie's side now. **_

_**So I hope you liked that chapter! And please review! **_


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: I changed the rating to T because I do mention a somewhat adult themed situation. I don't come right out and say it but it is definitely insinuated. **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock.**_

* * *

Mitchie sat on the dock; her legs hung off the side and swung back and forth. She stared across the lake and at the trees rustling in the slight breeze. She sighed quietly and shook her head with a slight roll to her eyes, still not believing what had just happened in the kitchen.

She was startled from her thoughts when she felt a pair of warm, familiar hands cover her eyes. "Guess who?" A voice whispered in her ear.

"Hi Shane." She tried to sound enthusiastic but she wasn't in the mood and it showed in her voice.

His hands left her eyes and he moved to sit down beside her. She glanced over to him when he settled himself down and saw that he was giving her a concerned look.

"What's up Mitch?"

"Tess." She grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

"What happened?" He asked slinging an arm around her shoulder and drawing her closer to him.

"She accused me and Caitlyn of stealing her charm bracelet." Mitchie explained.

"That's ridiculous."

"I know." Mitchie nodded and let out another sigh. "So…" She felt hesitant on telling him what Brown did because he was related to him.

"So…what?" Shane urged her on.

She let out a breath. "So…Brown kicked us out of Final Jam."

"He WHAT?" Mitchie winced at his outburst.

"Sorry." Shane apologized seeing her wince. "He can't do that! He doesn't have any proof!"

"But he does." Mitchie muttered quietly.

"What?" Shane furrowed his brow, now fully confused.

"We didn't take it!" Mitchie reassured quickly and she saw Shane's shoulders drop in relief but he still had that confused look on his face. "But Tess must have snuck into the kitchen and put her bracelet there."

"That measly little snake." He hissed.

Mitchie couldn't do anything but nod her head in agreement.

He shook his head, narrowing his eyes.

"I just don't get it." Mitchie said flailing her arms out. "Why would she do that?" She looked over to Shane to see if he had any answers.

He clenched his jaw in thought for a moment. "Well, that's an easy one Mitch."

Mitchie raised an eyebrow, encouraging him to elaborate.

"I don't mean to sound cocky here but if you're good enough to leave a long lasting impression on _the_ Shane Gray than she has some major competition in Final Jam. In order to avoid losing, she needs to get you out of the game."

"Like she did with Caitlyn at the Pajama Jam." Mitchie said in realization and Shane nodded in confirmation.

"I just don't understand how she could do that to someone. How she could be so cruel and selfish." Mitchie said softly, returning her gaze to the trees on the other side of the lake.

"I don't know." He shrugged following her gaze. "You're asking the wrong person."

Mitchie turned her head to the side and cocked an eyebrow at him. "Coming from Mr. Shane 'The Jerk' Gray."

"Hey, I was a jerk, not a liar or a manipulator! I was just rude to people, she's rude AND manipulative." Shane snapped quickly to his defense.

She chuckled softly at his reaction. "I was just teasing Shane."

He stared at her a few moments with a blank expression on his face and then he cleared his throat, looked away for a moment and nodded. "Yeah, I knew that."

She smirked and raised her eyebrows in amusement. "Sure you did."

He raised an eyebrow at her and she grinned at him. His lips curved up in a mischievous smirk and she eyed him warily wondering what he was going to do.

He scooted closer to her, the same smirk still on his face, and she wasn't sure whether she should back away from him or not.

Then suddenly Shane lunged toward her, she let out a shriek as Shane grabbed hold of her shoulders and gently pushed her down onto the dock. He straddled her and she closed her eyes tightly. After a few seconds she popped open one eye and saw that he was hovering over her and his mischievous smirk had transformed into a grin. Her other eye opened and she stared up at him. Her heart started pounding in her chest once she realized the position they were in but she wouldn't let onto Shane. Because even though it made her a little nervous to have Shane straddling her waist, she secretly also loved it. She thanked God at that moment that she was a girl and there would be no obvious clues as to what she was feeling right then. She also, for once, hoped that Shane wasn't feeling the same way she was feeling or that he had better control over his emotions. And judging that she didn't notice anything, her wish had come true. Although she still couldn't help the blush that spread across her cheeks.

Shane got a look of amusement in his eyes but said nothing. He ran his hands up her arms towards her face and as he did so she sucked in a breath and held it there. He softly caressed her pink stained cheeks with his fingertips and her eyes met and locked onto his.

"If this is your idea of revenge…" Mitchie started but stopped when her words came out more breathlessly than she wanted them to.

He smirked and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "Who said anything about revenge?" He replied just as breathlessly. He leaned down and Mitchie's eyes started to flutter close. He paused just centimeters away from her lips, moved his face so his lips were against the side of her face. "Maybe I just want to be close to you." He whispered, his hot breath tickling her skin. Her breath hitched in her chest again and her eyes opened again to look at him. His eyes were almost closed but were fully focused on his target. Her lips. He brushed his lips against the skin on her cheek and then found her lips.

She kissed him back, her hands resting on his muscular arms. As she kissed him, thoughts ran wildly through her head. She couldn't believe that she was sitting laying there with Shane Gray on top of her, practically making out with him. She couldn't believe that she was letting him kiss her like that, that she let him stay in the position he was in. She couldn't believe what she was feeling inside and it scared her. Somewhere inside, she loved it, but as Shane tried to intensify their kiss, she realized that she was scared.

She tore her lips away from his and turned her face away. She could practically feel the confusion radiating from Shane. She started to wriggle under him and he must have got the message because he lifted his body and she scrambled out from under him, refusing to look at him. She sat up and brought her knees to her chest and closed her eyes.

"Mitchie?" Shane's concerned and confused voice rang out.

"I'm sorry." She whispered and felt her eyes watering up. She felt like a disappointment to him. He was probably used to girls willing to do anything with him and there she was chickening out because of a simple kiss.

"What are you sorry about?"

She didn't answer him; she wouldn't really know what to say anyway. She heard him move behind her and then felt his hand on top of hers. "Mitchie, what's wrong? You can tell me."

She finally lifted her head and looked over at him. As her teary eyes met his concerned ones something snapped in his mind.

He shook his head frantically and wrapped an arm around her. "Oh Mitchie no, you have nothing to be sorry for." He pulled her into him and kissed the side of her head. "I shouldn't have done that, I'm sorry."

She rested her head in the crook of his neck and stared off into the distance. "I've never had a boyfriend before." She admitted softly. "We've only been dating a few days Shane."

"I know, I'm sorry." He rested his chin on the top of her head. "I just acted in the moment, just went with what I was feeling, I should have thought about how you were feeling and how it would be too soon for you."

"Don't get me wrong Shane. I love kissing you." She stated with a blush and felt Shane smile against her head. "Just not in such a….compromising position. It was just...too much."

She felt Shane nod against her head in understanding.

"You make me feel like I've never felt before in my entire life and it scared me." She admitted quietly.

"I promise." He whispered into her hair. "I promise, I won't do anything without your permission."

Mitchie smiled and moved her head to look at him. "Did anyone ever tell you that you're amazing Shane Gray?"

He smirked and shrugged lightly. "I've heard it once or twice." He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "But it has a more special meaning coming from you."

She smiled softly and lifted her head to kiss his jaw line softly. She then snuggled back into the crook of his neck and his arms went around her and pulled her closer.

After a few minutes of just sitting there in each others arms, Shane suddenly moved to get up. Mitchie followed him with questioning eyes, still sitting on the dock.

"I'm going to talk to Brown." He announced.

She furrowed her brow in confusion. "About?"

He looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Tess blaming you for stealing her bracelet."

"Shane…" Mitchie started to protest. He held up his hand and shook his head.

"No, Mitch, it's not right that you have to get kicked out of Final Jam for something you didn't do. And you have the talent to win Final Jam."

She smirked and rested her arms on top of her knees. "Why Mr. Gray I think you just want me to win so you could record a duet with me."

The look he got on his face mirrored that of a child who just got caught taking from the cookie jar and she couldn't help but giggle at it.

"Well there may be some truth in that statement Miss Torres but I also believe that you do have the talent to win despite the prize."

She smiled shyly and glanced down at the ground quickly and then back up to him.

"And that's why I'm going to talk to Brown." He said in a matter of fact way.

"But-"

"Ah! No buts!" He pointed a finger at her and walked over to stand directly in front of her. "Your boyfriend has got your back." He leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

She smiled gratefully up at him and he winked at her and then turned to leave. She let out a sigh as she watched his retreating form. A small smile spread across her face and she fell back onto the dock. What did she ever do to deserve such an amazing boyfriend?

* * *

Shane knocked once on his uncle's cabin and didn't wait for him to answer before opening the door.

Brown looked up from his place on the couch and smiled at the sight of his nephew. "Shane! What's up, mate?"

Shane narrowed his eyes and slammed the door closed. Brown lost the smile from his face and almost looked taken aback as if he hadn't seen Shane ever act like this before.

Shane stalked into the room and crossed the room. He stood in front of Brown and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Word around camp is that you've changed, Shane. It's been pretty quiet around here, I thought it was true."

"It is true." Shane snapped and Brown raised an eyebrow, skeptically.

"Doesn't seem like it. What'd I do to get the burn treatment?"

Shane clenched his jaw. "Do the words 'Tess' 'Charm' 'Bracelet' 'Steal' and 'Mitchie' sound familiar at all?"

"Oh." Brown said simply and let out a sigh, relaxing back onto the couch. "So you've heard about that? And that's what you're upset about?"

"I'm upset because you're being unfair to Mitchie." Shane responded and then added as an afterthought. "AND Caitlyn."

"Unfair? How so?"

Shane rolled his eyes. "They're both incredibly talented musicians and you just kicked them out of Final Jam!"

"Shane…" Brown groaned.

"No, don't Shane me! Uncle Brown, you know they didn't do it!"

He shrugged helplessly. "There's no proof Shane."

"Of course there's proof! You know Mitchie and Caitlyn, you know they wouldn't ever do that!"

"That's not proof." Brown responded. "As much as I would like it to be," he added, "That's not proof."

Shane furrowed his brow and started to calm down. "Wait a minute, are you saying you know they didn't do it?"

"Of course they didn't do it."

"Then why did you kick them out of Final Jam?!" Shane exclaimed.

"Shane, I can't go against Camp Rules because I know the person. If I did that, the Camp would go into chaos."

"But…but…it's Mitchie!" Shane tried to reason.

Brown seemed to catch on and smiled sympathetically. "I can't go around rules just because she's your girlfriend Shane."

Shane huphed and furrowed his brow.

"It's not fair Shane. If I did it for her, I would have to do it for everybody. I'm sorry; she gets no special treatment just because she's dating you."

"But…" Shane sighed. "Why should she be kicked out of Final Jam? I mean, Uncle Brown, you've heard her! She's amazing; she deserves a chance to win! I understand that it goes against Camp Rules but it's not fair that she gets punished for something she didn't do. Why can't it be innocent until proven guilty?"

Brown sighed and rose to his feet, giving his nephew a sympathetic look. "Shane, technically, she was proven guilty. I found the necklace in the kitchen, and I know in my heart, that Mitchie and Caitlyn wouldn't do that but that's not good enough."

Shane narrowed his eyes and scowled at the floor. "And Tess is the one who did various wrong things during Camp and she gets to perform." He shook his head. "That is so unfair."

"Life isn't fair Shane; you should know that better than anybody."

Shane glanced back up at him and caught his knowing look. Shane frowned, memories of his past resurfacing.

In order to avoid the subject he went back to the old one. He huphed and crossed his arms. "Well if she wins I'm not singing with her."

"Shane." Brown gave him a serious look. "You promised Nate and Jason that you would sing with the winner. 'Whoever wins, no go backs.'" He quoted him from before and Shane rolled his eyes and groaned, realizing he was right. And the new and improved Shane did not go back on his promises, especially to his best friends.

"I'm sorry." Brown placed a hand on Shane's shoulder and gave him an understanding smile. "Mitchie and Caitlyn are banned from all activities until the _end _of Final Jam."

Shane nodded and shrugged his shoulders in defeat, letting out a sigh. He clenched his jaw gave his uncle once more look and then turned to leave.

When he had one hand on the doorknob Brown called out his name. Shane turned around and looked at him expectantly.

Brown smiled warmly. "It's good to have you back, son."

Shane let a smile play his lips and nodded. "Thanks Uncle Brown." And then he turned, opened the door and stepped out of the cabin.

He shoved his hands in his pockets and let out another sigh. He didn't like the outcome of his talk with his uncle. He thought he would be able to convince him to let Mitchie and Caitlyn perform in Final Jam. Shane understood where Brown was coming from, he was a camp counselor and had to go by his own rules and he couldn't give Mitchie special treatment. But he still didn't like it. He didn't like the fact that Tess sabotaged Mitchie and Caitlyn on various occasions and still got to perform while Mitchie and Caitlyn who were the victims suffered and were "banned from all camp activities until the _end_ of Final Jam."

Suddenly he stopped short in the middle of the path. "Until the _end_ of Final Jam." He repeated in a thoughtful tone. He glanced back over his shoulder towards Brown's cabin, his eyes lit up, and a knowing smile spread across his face.

* * *

_**A/N: o0o0o so Shane figured out Brown's loophole, what's he gonna do? And what happened in Shane's mysterious past? **_

_**Well, you're going to just have to keep reading, but not without leaving a review first! Please and Thank You! **_


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N: I'm so sorry I haven't updated!! I've had no inspiration!!**_

* * *

Shane, after searching the entire camp, found Mitchie in the mess hall. She was with Caitlyn, Nate and Jason and they were all sitting around the table with a few several pieces of wood and glue and paint.

Shane snuck in through the back door, trying not to make a sound in order to sneak up on his friends. He carefully stepped forward, biting his lip to keep from making any sound.

"Hey," Shane froze when Mitchie spoke up, "Jason pass that glue over here."

Shane quietly sighed in relief when he realize he hadn't been caught. He continued to step forward just as Jason was reaching for the glue to pass to Mitchie. Jason's eye caught movement and he looked up to Shane. Shane immediately placed his finger to his lips to signal Jason to be quiet. Jason cocked his head to the side and furrowed his brow. Shane rolled his eyes and shook his head and ran a finger across his neck.

Jason still looked confused. "What Shane?"

The rest of the table turned to look behind them and saw Shane slump his shoulders and give Jason an exasperated look. "Thanks Jase." He muttered.

Mitchie grinned and waved Shane over. He walked over to her, slung an arm around her and then sat down on the chair next to her. Mitchie leaned over and kissed his cheek softly, giggled at the love sick smile he got on his face and then turned back to work.

"What are you guys working on?" He asked looking around at all the supplies.

"My Birdhouse!" Jason exclaimed happily.

Shane cocked an eyebrow and looked at Nate. "Seriously?"

Nate shrugged in response. "Mitchie found some supplies in one of the supply closets in the kitchen. Still don't know what pieces of wood, glue and paint was doing in the kitchen though."

"So how did it go with Brown?" Mitchie asked looking up at Shane.

Shane sighed. "I tried but he wouldn't budge."

Mitchie frowned and shared disheartened looks with Caitlyn.

"I mean he knows you didn't do it but he can't go against camp rules especially since the bracelet was in the room."

Mitchie nodded in understanding although she was still disappointed. "That is reasonable. All evidence was against us."

"Wait what happened?" Nate asked looking confused.

"Mitchie and Caitlyn were kicked out of Final Jam." Shane answered.

"What?!" He exclaimed. "Why?!"

"Tess snuck into the kitchen and set us up to make it look like we stole her bracelet." Caitlyn explained.

"So she sabotaged you so you can't perform?" He scoffed and shook his head. "That's terrible." He saw Mitchie and Caitlyn nod in agreement and Shane with a smirk on his face.

Nate furrowed his brow. "And what are you smirking about?"

Caitlyn and Mitchie turned to look at Shane.

"What did Brown say to you two exactly?" Shane asked the girls.

Caitlyn and Mitchie looked at each other and then Mitchie looked back at Shane. "Well um, he said that rules are rules, and since it was the end of camp he had no other choice but to ban us from the rest of Camp Activities until the end of Final Jam."

Caitlyn scoffed quietly and rolled her eyes at the memory of that scene.

"Until the end of Final Jam." Shane repeated. "Until the _end_ of Final Jam." He stressed it more the second time hoping they would catch what he caught. He rolled his eyes and groaned when everyone just stared at him blankly.

"It's a loophole!" He cried. "You are banned until the _end_ of Final Jam! That means you can still perform after Final Jam is over. You won't be able to win but you can still perform!"

Nate caught on to what Shane was saying and smiled. "Yeah! Every year Brown officially announces the end of final Jam. As soon as he says that you can go on stage and sing!"

"And he knows it too!" Shane said. "He knows it which is why he said it to both you guys and me. He hoped one of us would get it and see it and catch on."

Mitchie and Caitlyn looked at each other and slowly a grin spread across their faces. They squealed happily and hugged each other. Then Mitchie parted from Caitlyn and threw her arms around Shane's neck catching him off guard.

He laughed as he gripped the table to keep from falling and tightened his grip around her with his other arm.

"Shane you're the best!" She exclaimed and kissed his cheek again.

He scoffed and smirked. "I know."

She gave him a look while smirking because she knew he was kidding.

"But really, it was Brown who created the loop hole." He told her seriously. "I was just the messenger boy."

"But a very cute messenger boy."

Nate and Caitlyn groaned and rolled their eyes. Mitchie turned her head sideways and stuck out her tongue at them and then turned back and nuzzled the side of her face into Shane's.

"Uh guys," Jason's voice broke their moment and the four of them turned to look at him. Jason held up his hand and a piece of wood was attached to the palm of his hand. He tried moving his hand up and down to shake it loose but it wouldn't budge. "I think we have a problem."

* * *

"So explain to me again, how did this happen?"

Jason sat in a chair in the Camp Rock kitchen with Connie standing beside him with his hand trying to remove the piece of wood from his hand.

"I don't even know." Jason said helplessly.

"Which is just great because no one else knows." Nate commented. "Shane and Mitchie were too busy flirting and Caitlyn and I were too busy barfing."

Mitchie, who was still attached to Shane's side, once again stuck out her tongue at them.

"But knowing Jason, he probably glued the wrong side of the wood, got distracted and put his hand down on the piece of wood." Shane responded.

Jason looked thoughtful for a moment and then he jumped a little, hitting Connie with the piece of wood, in realization. "Yeah! That's EXACTLY what happened."

Connie grabbed Jason's wrist to hold him still and gave him a bit of a stern look. He caught the stern look and shrunk in his seat.

Connie sighed and turned on the faucet. She messed with the handles until the water was at the right temperature and there was steam rising from the sink. She grabbed Jason's hand lightly. "Now this might be a little hot." She told him and stuck his hand underneath the running water.

Jason screeched once his skin came in contact with the hot water and he pulled his hand back. Connie gave him a hard look, a look that Mitchie had gotten plenty of times over the years, and held out her hand. Jason held his now slightly tinted pink hand that was still attached to the wood near him for a good few moments and then reluctantly gave his hand back to Connie. She sent him a silent Thank You and slowly pushed his hand under the water and held it there. Jason let out another little squeak and bit his lip to keep from making any more noise.

"So did you boys hear what happened to Mitchie and Caitlyn?" Connie asked, trying to make conversation.

"Unfortunately." Nate muttered crossing his arms.

"But Shane found a loophole, Mom!" Mitchie told her with a smile.

"A loophole?" Connie inquired.

"Yes," Shane nodded, "Uncle Brown always creates loopholes. When I was a kid and he used to baby sit me and I got in trouble he would punish me but always left a loophole because as you know he hates being 'uncool'. So he knew he had to do the right thing and punish them for "stealing her bracelet" but he also knew that they were innocent so he left a loophole."

"Well that was nice of him." Connie responded sounding generally surprised.

Shane smiled softly. "Brown's a nice guy."

"So what is this loophole?" Connie asked as she looked down at Jason's hand. His skin was no longer a peachy color but a light pink but the wood didn't budge. She grabbed the bottle of dish soap next to the sink and poured it between the wood and his skin.

"He told Mitchie and Caitlyn they were banned until the end of Final Jam. That means they can perform after the last act. They won't be able to win but they can still perform and get their music out there."

"Really?" Connie asked looking over her shoulder.

"Ow!" Jason exclaimed as Connie tried pulling the wood off of his skin. She managed to get it halfway off. "Almost there."

"Yep." Shane answered in response to her question. "And as long as Tess doesn't win then all will be good."

"Aren't you boys the judges?" Connie asked.

"We are." Nate nodded. "But we have to be _fair_, right Shane?"

Shane crossed his arms and grumbled under his breath, narrowing his eyes.

"If she's good then she'll win Shane."

"Well then let's hope someone is better than her." Shane responded. "I really do not want to sing with her."

"It's just one song." Nate told him. "I know you don't like her but-"

"With Tess its never just one of anything." Caitlyn replied and Shane nodded his head in agreement.

"She'll do the one song, convince her manager to talk to our manager and then do a song with all of Connect 3. And because she's TJ Tyler's daughter, it will sell, and then she'll wind up being our Opening Act for our new tour." Shane explained.

Mitchie tensed from her place beside Shane. She did not like the thought of having Tess around her boyfriend for months while she was home alone. Tess was a very manipulative person and she hated the thought of Shane leaving her for Tess.

"Yeah," Caitlyn piped in, "And she's after Shane so once she's in, she won't get out. And like you just witnessed she won't stop until she has what she wants."

Mitchie instinctively pressed herself against Shane's side and placed a hand on his chest protectively.

Shane turned his head to the side to cast an amused look at her. "Jealous much?" He asked her quietly.

She blushed softly. "I don't want to lose you." She responded in the same tone.

He chuckled softly and pressed his lips softly against her temple. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

"Got it!"

Jason pulled his hand out of the burning water and cradled it, pouting softly, while Connie held the piece of wood triumphantly in her hands. She tossed the piece of wood onto the counter next to her.

She walked over to the other side of the kitchen, grabbed a cloth from one of the drawers, and walked back to the sink. She switched the hot water off and the cold water on. She soaked the cloth in cold water and asked for Jason's hand.

Jason handed it over to her and she carefully tied the wet cloth around his hand. She patted his hand softly, smiled at him and then placed his hand back on his lap.

"Thank you Mrs. Torres." Jason said with a smile.

"You're welcome Jason." She replied.

Jason rose from his seat and headed for the door. The group followed him with their eyes.

Jason pulled the screen door open and took a step outside. He paused in the doorway and turned back to look at his friends. "Aren't you coming?"

"Where exactly are we going?" Caitlyn asked.

"To finish my birdhouse, _duh._"

Shane gave him a blank look. "You seriously want to finish your birdhouse after this whole incident?"

"You won't be able to hold a guitar if both your hands are wrapped up." Nate said.

Jason scoffed. "I'm not going to do it again, what do you guys think I am, stupid?"

Shane opened his mouth to say something and Mitchie elbowed his side, giving him a look. He shut his mouth and shot a hard look at Mitchie for elbowing him.

The room grew awfully silent after that and Jason furrowed his brow staring at his friends.

"Well how about that birdhouse then!" Caitlyn broke the silence. She shot a smile at Jason and walked towards him. She quickly glanced over her shoulder at the rest of her friends, giving them a look to just play along. She linked arms with Jason and walked out of the kitchen. Nate, Shane and Mitchie all looked at each other, shrugged and then followed after Caitlyn and Jason.

* * *

"It's beautiful!" Jason exclaimed grinning happily. His birdhouse sat on the table in the mess hall. It was a decent sized birdhouse painted bright yellow and red.

Mitchie nodded as she looked at it. "It's actually not bad. I would live in that if I was bird."

"And actually," Nate said, "So would I."

"Hey back off Nate, it's my house." Mitchie joke threatened him.

Nate raised his eyebrows and held out his arms. "You wanna go Mitchie?"

Mitchie clapped her hands together, pursed her lips and jumped towards Nate. "Bring it Nate!"

Jason jumped in between them and held out his hands to either side of him. "Guys! Seriously, if you each want the birdhouse then I'll make another, just don't fight!"

Mitchie and Nate looked at each other and then laughed. Jason furrowed his brow in confusion. Nate patted Jason's shoulder and laughed softly, turning to go sit back down.

"We were just joking Jason…play fighting." Mitchie told him.

Jason blinked at them. "I knew that." He replied. "I was joking too."

Mitchie and Nate looked at each other and smirked. Jason walked back over to his place at the table. "Shane, what do you think of the birdhouse?" He looked over to the lead singer who was glowering in the corner.

Nate rolled his eyes at his friend's attitude. "Shane, seriously, stop being such a sour puss."

"He got paint on my favorite shirt!" Shane exclaimed. He looked down to the black shirt and lifted it off his skin to show the various yellow spots.

Caitlyn scoffed. "Shane you're such a girl."

He frowned and narrowed his eyes at her. "Hey! I resent that! I'm not a girl!"

Mitchie tried to hold back a chuckle and walked over to Shane. She kneeled down beside him. "It's just a shirt Shane."

"But-But-"

"The guy loves his clothes, loves his hair, spends two hours in the bathroom each morning…yeah, sounds like a girl to me." Nate said with a smirk.

"I'm not a girl!" Shane exclaimed. "If I was girl I wouldn't be able to do this." In one fluid motion he lifted his shirt up over his head and tossed it on the piano next to him.

Nate slapped his forehead, Caitlyn raised her eyebrows and Mitchie blushed and her eyes widened.

"Dude, put your shirt back on." Nate told him after his hand left his forehead.

Shane stood up and Mitchie's breath caught in her chest seeing his muscles flex as he stood. Shane strutted across the room, obviously showing off his well toned upper body, and Mitchie followed his every moment. He walked to the other side of the room, turned and walked back to his original position. He glanced at Mitchie, saw her flushed cheeks and wide eyes and smirked.

"Mitchie doesn't seem to think I'm very girly." He stretched his arms over his head and looked over to Mitchie again. Her cheeks had turned as red as a tomato and she bit her lip.

Mitchie looked over to Caitlyn and saw the look she was giving her. "Sorry." She mouthed to her and shrugged sheepishly. She had seen pictures of Shane without his shirt on from when paparazzi caught them in the pool or something but never up close and personal. She knew Caitlyn and Nate were trying to make a point that Shane acted girly about his hair and his clothes but when he looked like _that_ she couldn't really help but succumb to her feelings.

Shane smirked, grabbed his shirt off the piano and slipped it on back over his head. "I rest my case." He kissed Mitchie's warm cheek, grabbed his jacket which he had taken off and triumphantly walked out of the mess hall.

Nate, Caitlyn and Jason all looked at Mitchie. She bit her lip shyly, looked at all three of them, and then scurried out of the room after Shane.

* * *

_**A/N: So that was just a filler chapter. Don't worry I have drama planned! Please review!!**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: Guess what? There's drama in this chapter!!! And there's more drama in future chapters!! But since I'm kinda a drama buff but more of a helpless romantic there's both of them in this chapter. But ninety percent of the chapter is drama. **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock!**_

* * *

Shane slung his guitar around his body and walked out of his cabin. It was two days before Final Jam; campers were busy preparing their acts all around camp. As he passed a few groups practicing outside, he saw them look up at him expectantly. He gave them a smile, a thumbs up and a wink. They would smile and return back to their practicing more confidently. He found it flattering that everyone looked for his approval on their performance. He guessed they figured that if they had Shane Gray's approval, they were good enough to win Final Jam. As he wandered Camp and listened to all the performances he realized that it would be very hard to judge and hoped Nate and Jason were better at decisions than he was.

He was headed down to his spot at the lake. Ever since he met Mitchie, inspiration had come to him. In the few short weeks he had been at Camp he had already written two hit songs and continued to write more.

"Shane!" He winced when he heard a familiar, shrill voice. He closed his eyes and stopped in his path. He turned around slowly, reopened his eyes and saw Tess waving at him and running to catch up with him.

She stopped a foot away from him and grinned, flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder. "Hi Shane." She greeted flirtatiously.

He didn't try to hide his displeasure at seeing her and only cocked an eyebrow in response.

Her grin didn't fade at his lack of response and she kept trying. "Where are you going Shane?"

He sighed and crossed his arms. "Can I help you with something Tess?"

She giggled when he said her name and flipped her hair over her shoulder again. "Actually Shane, yes, you can. I was wondering, I'm having a little bit of trouble with my Final Jam act…could you help me?"

He stared at her sternly. "Wouldn't that be cheating Tess?" He accentuated the word 'cheating' part of his sentence still bitter about what Tess did to Mitchie and Caitlyn.

"I'm not asking you to be in the act with me Shane, I just want you to know…" She walked around him as he followed her with his eyes. She tapped the headstock of his guitar and completed her circle around him. "Play a few notes…"

"Don't touch my guitar." He snapped at her.

She only gave an (obviously fake) apologetic smile and shrugged her shoulders. "So will you help me or not?"

He pursed his lips and let out a breath, putting on a fake disappointed look. "Gee, Tess, I wish I could…but I promised Mitchie I would meet her." Okay, so that was a lie. Mitchie told him earlier she would be in the kitchen for most of the day. But Tess didn't have to know that.

Tess tried not to look annoyed at the sound of Mitchie's name. "She would understand! You know Mitchie; she's just that type of person."

Shane frowned. Tess was right; Mitchie WAS that type of person. She would understand that he had to go help someone out. She understood his popularity and would let him go to help someone.

But he really did NOT want to help Tess. But thanks to his new found personality, even though he didn't like this girl, he didn't want to hurt her feelings by telling her straight out no he didn't want to help her. He knew he would feel guilty.

So he sighed, looked over his shoulder towards the lake and then looked back at Tess. He cursed his good nature and said, "Alright Tess I'll help you."

Tess squealed, grinned and reached out to hug him. His eyes widened and he took a step back holding out his hands. "No hugging."

Tess looked disappointed but she shrugged it off. "Okay, whatever, I can deal with that."

Shane faked a small laugh and a smile. She grinned at him and grabbed his wrist. His smile fell as he stared down at where her hand grasped his. He was about to tell her to let him go when she started to pull him along.

She led him to her cabin and dragged him in. He saw Tess' roommates, Peggy and Ella, look up in shock when they saw him enter with her.

"Peggy, Ella, out, Shane and I are practicing." Tess told them rudely, losing her peppy personality from when she talked to him just a minute ago. Shane felt like correcting her and he almost did.

Ella shrugged, grabbed her bottle of nail polish and happily sauntered out of the room. Tess shot a look at Peggy. Peggy narrowed her eyes, grabbed her guitar which was she playing when they walked in and slowly headed out of the room.

"Finally." Tess scoffed and went over and locked the door. She turned to Shane and grinned. "Take a seat." She motioned to her bed and Shane stared at her, then at the bed and then slowly took a seat on the edge.

Tess clapped happily and ran over to her night stand. She filed through a bunch of papers and pulled out one and handed it to Shane. "These are the tabs…I'm sure you'll pick it up." She winked at him.

He glanced down at the tabs. They were rather easy. He moved his guitar to the front of him and rested it on his lap. He started strumming quietly and he quickly picked it up.

Tess squealed in delight. "You are amazing Shane!"

Shane lifted his eyes, still strumming the strings and said nothing. He felt like telling her that if she played since she was five years old than she would pretty amazing too.

She cleared her throat and waited for Shane to start the rhythm over and then she started singing.

* * *

"Hey honey can you take the trash out?" Connie Torres asked her daughter.

Mitchie, who was currently doing not much in the kitchen, nodded. "Sure Mom." She rose from her chair and collected all the trash bags from around the kitchen. She headed out the screen door, passing Caitlyn on the way out, who was on the way in.

"Hey Mitchie." Caitlyn greeted.

"Hey Cait," Mitchie said in return. "I'm just throwing out the trash, I'll be back in a minute."

Caitlyn scrunched her nose up in disgust and then laughed. "Alright, see ya then."

Mitchie laughed with her. "See ya." Caitlyn headed off into the kitchen and Mitchie headed down the steps towards the dumpsters.

On her way she passed a very familiar cabin and heard a familiar singing voice. She rolled her eyes as Tess and even more so at the lyrics.

She continued walking until she heard Tess' singing stop and a very familiar laugh. Her whole body froze. It couldn't be, she told her self, he wouldn't. She bit her lip and turned slowly back around. She placed the trash bags carefully on the ground and slowly and carefully tip toed up the steps to Tess' cabin. She held her breath as she peeked in through the window. She felt her stomach drop at the sight. She could see her boyfriend's back sitting on Tess's bed with Tess standing inches with him, laughing and talking with him. She saw his head move as if he was talking and then his hands move on the guitar as he started playing again. Tess grinned and then started to sing again, bouncing her body to the music produced from Shane's guitar.

Mitchie backed away from the window and cast her gaze to the ground. She should have known. Finding a guy like Shane was way too hard to believe. He was Shane Gray and she was Tess Tyler, he was famous, and she was bound to become famous. It was a match made in heaven. How could she ever think that Shane would go for a nobody like her when he had someone like Tess Tyler.

She felt her lip quiver as she fought back tears. She sniffled quietly and slowly made her way down the steps. She grabbed the trash bags and continued on her way to the dumpsters.

She tossed the bags in, almost wanting to go in with them, and then trudged her way back to the kitchen. However she went the long way to avoid Tess' cabin where her heart was left broken.

She got back to the kitchen and quietly asked her mother what she could do to help out. Connie turned to her daughter and her brow furrowed in concern, "What's wrong sweetie?"

Mitchie shook her head, "Nothing." She muttered.

Connie gave her a look. "Mitchie."

"I don't want to talk about it." Mitchie replied and looked around the kitchen. "Where's Caitlyn?"

"She's outside in the dining hall setting up." Connie replied, her worry for her daughter obvious in her voice.

"Is it alright if I go help her?" Mitchie asked softly.

Connie nodded. "Sure honey."

"Thanks." She murmured and headed out to the dining hall.

She saw Caitlyn placing table cloths over all the tables. She walked around the food area and towards Caitlyn.

"Hey Cait, want some help?" Mitchie asked, giving a small smile.

Caitlyn looked up at her and cocked her head to the side. "Were you crying?"

Mitchie's eyes widened and she swallowed. "N-no why do you say that?"

"Your eyes are a little blood shot and glossy and your voice is strained." Caitlyn explained.

Mitchie bit her lip and looked down. Caitlyn stood beside her and wrapped an arm around her, looking down at her friend with concern. "What's the matter?"

Mitchie leaned her head against Caitlyn's shoulder and sniffled softly. "I'm stupid, that's what's wrong."

"Mitchie! You're not stupid! Why do you say that?"

"I am stupid!" Mitchie cried. She grabbed one of the table cloths that Caitlyn had placed down on one of the tables and started to place it over a table. "Stupid for ever believing that Shane liked me."

Caitlyn stared at her like she had three heads. "Say what now?"

"You heard me." Mitchie muttered, smoothing out the piece of red cloth.

Caitlyn scoffed out a laugh. "Mitchie, you're not stupid, you're crazy! Crazy for thinking that Shane DOESN'T like you."

Mitchie shook her head and refused to look at her friend. "You wouldn't be saying that if you saw what I saw."

Caitlyn's face paled and she walked over to Mitchie. "What did you see?"

Mitchie let out a breath and lifted her head to look at Caitlyn. Tears started to fill her eyes as she explained what she saw, "He was in Tess' cabin. He was sitting on her bed, playing guitar for her, while she sang." She bit her lip as a tear rolled down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away. "He was flirting with her Cait." She fought back a sob and sat down at one of the tables resting her face in her hands. "Everything he said in the past few days was just a lie. He never cared about us. He never cared about me." Mitchie's voice cracked and she buried her head in her arms and let tears freely run down her cheeks.

Caitlyn sat down beside her and rubbed her back comfortingly. She couldn't believe Shane would do such a thing. He looked so obviously head over heels for Mitchie. Was he that good of an actor?

Mitchie lifted her head and took a deep, shuddering breathe. "He's Shane Gray the jerk of a pop star and I was a fool to believe anything else."

Caitlyn gave her a sympathetic look and wrapped an arm around her and leaned her head on her shoulder.

* * *

"…Tess, I've really gotta go now. _Good bye_."

Shane shut the door to the Vibe cabin, hearing Tess flirtatiously call after him, "Bye Shane!"

He groaned and let out a relieved sigh finally glad to be out of that room. He looked at his watch. He had only been in there ten minutes but it felt like an eternity. He had gone along with it and regretted every second since he said he would. Sitting with Tess in her room was like torture. She flirted with him even when she was singing. The lyrics to her song were obviously about him and it made him cringe to listen to them.

"We can shine like the sun if we believe that two stars are brighter than one." He muttered to himself and scoffed. Yeah, right. Like that wasn't completely obvious as to what she was referring to. He was a star; she thought she was a star so if they came together they would be a hit.

"Not in a million years Tess." He muttered. Instead of going to the Lake like he originally planned he decided to brain wash himself of Tess and go see the one person that could make him forget anything bad that was happening to him. Mitchie.

He reached the kitchen, knocked on the wood, opened the door and stepped in. "Hello Camp Rock kitchen staff!"

The staff looked up at him, grumbled quietly and then continued their work. Connie was the only one to actually speak to him.

"Hello Shane." She greeted kindly.

Shane walked over to her while glancing around the kitchen. "Enthusiastic staff you have here Mrs. Torres."

"Working in the kitchen gets kind of tedious Shane. I'd think you wouldn't be too giddy either."

"Touché."

She smiled at him softly. "Have you seen Mitchie today?"

He shook his head and rested against the counter. "No, she told me she was working in the kitchen all day so I didn't get a chance to see her."

"She came in here a little upset not too long ago." She told him. "I was hoping you knew why."

Shane furrowed his brow. "No, I don't know why. She didn't tell you?"

Connie shook her head, making a face. "She said she didn't want to talk about it."

Shane frowned wondering what was wrong with Mitchie. "Where is she?"

Connie motioned over her shoulder to the cafeteria. "She went in there to help Caitlyn."

Shane nodded. "Thanks." He started to head towards the door when Caitlyn walked in. She paused at seeing him and he gave her a small smile and waved. "Hey Caitlyn."

She narrowed her eyes and walked forward purposefully slamming the side of her body into his. "Hi backstabber." He stumbled backwards to catch his balance and furrowed his brow at her.

"Um, would you care explaining what the name and the body slam were for?"

Caitlyn glared at him over her shoulder. "You know exactly what it was for."

He cocked his head to the side. "If I knew what it was for I wouldn't be asking you."

She laughed sarcastically. "Haha, you think you're so cute."

Now Shane was thoroughly confused. He hadn't seen Caitlyn all day, what did he do to deserve the harsh treatment? "Alright, will you please tell me what I did to you?"

"You did nothing to me…except break my best friend's heart." She snapped.

Shane's eyes widened. "Mitchie? Are you talking about Mitchie?" He felt his heart pounding in his chest. Caitlyn just told him he broke Mitchie's heart...how in the world did he do that without even seeing her all day? He felt horrified at the thought. He didn't even know what he did but he never wanted to break Mitchie's heart.

Caitlyn rolled her eyes. "Duh." She turned to keep walking and he reached out and grabbed Caitlyn's arm to stop her. She turned and glared at him and he started at her in desperation. "Caitlyn, what…how…?"

A look of confusion spread across Caitlyn's face. But that quickly faded back into a glare and she shook her arm from him. "Don't touch me Gray. If you're so desperate to find out what you did wrong, even though you should know, go talk to Mitchie."

He opened his mouth to ask where she was but she cut him off. "She's in the cafeteria." She turned back around, huphed and went to the storage closet to put back all the extra table cloths.

Shane watched her go for a minute and then turned towards the cafeteria. The thought of what he did wrong to break Mitchie's heart tortured him worse than being in the same room with Tess. He couldn't even stand the thought of hurting Mitchie.

He walked into the cafeteria and saw Mitchie's huddled form sitting at one of the tables. Her face buried in her arms and her slumped shoulders immediately gave away the fact that she was or had been crying. He felt his own heart breaking at the sight of her. What could he have done to make her cry?

He slowly approached her and stood beside her for a good few moments contemplating on whether to disturb her. But the more he waited the more curious he got and the more it hurt him to wonder what he did. He reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Cait, I said I would be fi-" She lifted her head and stopped when she saw it was not Caitlyn but Shane standing there. Shane stared down at her with a concerned and questioning look.

Mitchie stared up at him not knowing how to respond to seeing him there. And then she narrowed her eyes, crossed her arms, huphed and turned her back to him.

Shane felt his heart sink when Mitchie shrugged his hand off her shoulder. "Mitch? What's wrong?"

After a minute she turned to him with a mixture of anger and hurt etched in her eyes and face. "How could you?" She whispered.

Shane took a seat on the opposite side of the table just incase Mitchie decided to body slam him as well. "I would tell you…if I knew what I did."

She narrowed her eyes at him and felt her bottom lip quiver at even the thought. She couldn't put it into words so she just sang, brokenly.

_Look at you, Look at me, there's never any us, can't you see…_

She broke off when she couldn't sing any more and looked down at the ground. Shane stared at her in confusion wondering why she sang. And why she sang Tess's song.

His eyes widened as it hit him. That was Tess' song. Tess wouldn't share her song with Mitchie, how would Mitchie know that song? There was only one way. She saw him in Tess' cabin.

"Mitchie…" He whispered.

"You never cared about me did you?" She snapped her head up, her eyes filling with tears. "This was all part of your plan wasn't it? Your plan to get with Tess. You pretended to be nice to me so Tess would get jealous and want me out of Final Jam. So when she got us out of Final Jam, you pretended to hate her but that was just to throw me off course. And then secretly you go off with Tess and help her practice so she could win and you get to record with her." She bit her lip as she looked away from Shane's shocked and confused stare. "You're good Shane Gray, you had me fooled."

"Mitchie…."

She shook her head and stood up slowly. "You don't have to say anything Shane." She whispered. She smiled sadly as if trying to convince herself of something. "You don't have to sneak around anymore Shane. Go ahead back to Tess, I'm sure she's waiting for you. You two will be good for each other." She closed her eyes and let a tear roll down her cheek. "Have a good life Shane."

She took a shuddering breath and started to head for the kitchen. Halfway there, Shane's voice stopped her. "Is that what you think?"

Mitchie felt her breath hitch in her chest at the tone of his voice. She turned around slowly and her eyes filled with tears. Once her vision cleared from the blurriness of the tears she saw Shane staring at her with a hurt expression.

"You really think that I would do that?" He asked quietly. He looked down at the table and shook his head. "Mitchie I…I would never…"

She took a few steps towards him but then stopped. "I…I saw you…"

He looked up at her, his expression mirroring that of the one he held only last week at the Beach Jam. "I…I was in there with her but I didn't want to be. Mitchie...she…she guilted me into helping her. I wanted nothing more than to be a million miles away from her and I regretted the moment I said that I would help her…I…" He shook his head softly. "How could you think that I would do that? How could you ever think that I would do that to you?" He closed his eyes and reopened them a minute later to look at her. "How many times have I told you that I care about you? And that I would never leave you?"

Mitchie let a few more tears roll down her cheeks and she looked down at the ground in shame.

"You changed me Mitchie. I'm not the person I used to be and I thought you knew that."

Mitchie looked up and her eyes met his. "I do…"

"Yea?" He asked coldly. "Then why is it you accused me of using you?"

She let out a soft cry and covered her mouth with her hand to muffle the sound. She was stupid alright. She was stupid and crazy. Stupid and crazy for thinking that the Shane she was staring to fall deeply for would do what she accused him of doing. As she looked at him now she realized she just made one of the biggest mistakes she could have. He looked even more hurt then when he did at the Beach Jam. She sunk down to sit down at one of the tables. She let out a small sob as she closed her eyes and shook her head. "I'm so sorry." She whispered. "I'm so, so, sorry."

Then miraculously a minute later she felt a familiar pair of strong arms wrap around her. She lifted her head and through her tearful gaze saw Shane. She bravely snuggled closer to him and buried her head in his chest. "I'm so sorry." She repeated in a whisper. "I saw you and Tess and I thought the worst. I know I shouldn't have. I know you would never; I just let my insecurities get the better of me again. I'm sorry Shane."

He shushed her as he rubbed her back softly. "I'm sorry Mitchie that I went with her. I shouldn't have. She just wanted to be around me to flirt with me; I highly doubt she actually needed my help."

She shook her head and lifted her head to look at him. "No, I should have trusted you. You're my boyfriend and you're right you've told me about a million times that you would never leave me for Tess. I should have held onto that promise but I went with my own stupid thoughts. I jumped to conclusions and that was wrong. You're a camp counselor here, it's your job to help the students and Tess is one of those students."

"Unfortunately." Shane muttered and Mitchie laughed through her tears. She lifted her hands to wipe her eyes and cheeks and her smile faded.

"I would totally understand if you didn't forgive me for accusing you of such a stupid thing."

"Mitchie." He lifted his hands to rest on either side of her dampened face. He gave her a small smile and then leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she returned the soft kiss.

"If I didn't forgive you…would I have done that?" He asked once they parted. She locked eyes with him, bit her lip softly, and shook her head. She leaned in to kiss him again when he lifted his finger to her lips.

"Just one more thing…."

"Mm?"

"Don't ever doubt my feelings for you again."

She gave him a small smile and nodded. And then he replaced his finger with his lips.


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N: This chapter is just a Smitchie fluff chapter. I hope you like it!! **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock.**_

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"What'cha working on?" Mitchie asked her boyfriend as she sat beside him on the dock. Shane sat with his guitar on one leg while his notepad was on the dock next to him and he leaned over the pad scribbling down lyrics.

He looked quickly up at her and then back down at his book. "A new song."

Mitchie's face lit up with curiosity and she leaned over to see what he was writing. He quickly reached both his hands over and covered the page. She looked up to meet his eyes and pouted.

He shook his head with a small smirk. "I don't want you to hear it until it's done."

"Fine." She huphed and crossed her arms over her chest. He chuckled and pecked her cheek softly.

"In time Mitchie, it'll be done soon. Be patient."

Her face softened and she let her hands drop to her sides. She let out a sigh and kicked her legs back and forth staring at her reflection in the water.

Shane went back to scribbling and then picked the guitar strings lightly. He hummed softly along with his plucking and Mitchie found the sound relaxing. She closed her eyes and rested back onto the dock. She placed her hands behind her head completely content letting the warm sun beat down onto her and listening to Shane play.

"So what are you doing over here?" Shane asked once he stopped playing. Mitchie opened her eyes and turned her head to look at him.

"What? I can't spend time with my boyfriend?"

"I'm not saying that at all." He replied not even glancing up from his notebook. "I'm not complaining. I'm just wondering because you and Caitlyn were supposed to be practicing for when Final Jam ended."

"Yeah well." She looked back up to the clear sky. "We were practicing but then Nate came by and stole Caitlyn's attention. So I just left."

Shane finally stopped writing and looked over to Mitchie with a small smile. "I'm so glad they finally became friends again."

Mitchie rolled onto her side and propped herself up with her elbow. "I think they're more than friends if you ask me."

He shrugged. "I don't know if they are yet but Nate definitely likes Caitlyn in the romantic way. You know our song 'Hello Beauitful'?"

Mitchie nodded with a smile. "I love that song."

"Nate wrote it about Caitlyn and he played it whenever he was missing her. Which let me tell you was a lot."

"Really? Aw that is so sweet!"

"And judging by the fact that you're here now means that she likes him as well."

Mitchie nodded with a grin. "She's liked him since they met four years ago."

"Same with Nate." He responded.

Mitchie gasped softly and sat up, grinning. "How much do you want to bet that by the next time we see them they're together?"

"I don't know…I mean Nate's kind of a chicken when it comes to girls. I had to force him to go talk to her."

"But they're alone!" Mitchie reiterated. "I was way too shy to admit my feelings for you but when we were alone I did it."

"But I did it first…honestly would you have done it if I hadn't?"

Mitchie's smiled faded and she adopted a sheepish look. "No." She replied quietly. "I was too afraid you didn't feel the same way and I hate rejection."

"Well then maybe Caitlyn is feeling the same way you are."

"Caitlyn is a stronger person than I am."

"Love can tame even the wildest heart; I think I'm living proof of that."

Mitchie's eyes widened and she lifted her eyes to meet his. He gave her a warm smile and she blushed, bit her lip and glanced back down, smiling shyly.

Shane chuckled softly and decided to change the subject. "So anyway, how are your rehearsals going?"

Mitchie looked back up at him and smiled softly. "They're going good." She nodded.

"What song are you doing?"

Mitchie smirked and shook her head slowly.

Shane sighed and hung his head and glanced up at her. "You're not going to tell me are you?"

"What goes around comes around." She replied wittily.

"Alright, alright." He held up his hands. "Fair enough."

She grinned triumphantly and looked out across the lake. Shane looked at her mischievously and took off his guitar placing it behind him on the dock. Mitchie slowly turned her head, seeing what he was doing out of the corner of her eye, and cocked an eye brow at him.

"Shane…" She stared at him warily once she spotted the mischievous glint in his eye. "What are you doing?"

He only smirked and inched closer to her. She eyed him and leaned away from him as he neared her. He stopped when the side of his leg was touching hers and slowly wrapped his arm around her. He turned his head to look at her and the glint in his eyes diappeared and he only smiled at her.

She furrowed her brow in confusion and just stared at him. After about ten seconds of him doing nothing she relaxed and leaned against him. She felt Shane's head rest against her own and she closed her eyes, sighing in contentment.

And then she felt Shane's hand on her back. She didn't think much of it until she felt herself fall off the side of the dock. Or rather, being pushed off the side of the dock. She let out a scream as she hit the water. She swam for the surface and gasped once she hit the air. She opened her eyes and saw Shane grinning from where he was on the dock. She scowled, narrowed her eyes and glared at him. "Jerk."

"I'm sorry Mitchie." He replied sincerely. "I just couldn't resist."

She huphed and he extended his hand out to her. She stared at it a moment and then slowly swam over to it. She placed her wet hand in his and instead of him pulling her up, she smirked and tugged on his hand as hard as she could. He yelped as he fell forward and hit the water. She let go of his hand and swam a few inches away. She waited with a grin until he reached the surface of the water. He spluttered the water out of his mouth and gave her a look.

"I'm sorry Shane, I just couldn't resist." She mocked him with a grin.

He narrowed his eyes as a smirk slowly spread across his face. He slowly sank back under the water and her grin faded. "Shane?" She called out. She looked around nervously, she couldn't see him under the water.

She squealed when she felt a big splash of water hit her back. She whipped around and saw Shane behind her grinning. She grinned and splashed him back.

And once again they erupted in a splash war. This lasted a good five minutes with both of them laughing and Mitchie occasionally squealing.

Then in the middle of one of Mitchie's attacks Shane swam his way over to her, pushing is way through the water being splashed at him. He closed his eyes to avoid getting hit in the eye and wrapped his arms around her. She gasped and stopped splashing and he realized he aimed just a little too low. He immediately moved his hands up so they were on the small of her back. Mitchie bit her lip and blushed. Shane acted like nothing happened but inside his heart was pounding.

To end the awkward moment, Shane leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. Mitchie responded immediately and slid her wet arms around his neck. They kissed until they felt themselves sinking into the water. They let go of each other and brought themselves back up.

They smiled at each other and then Shane silently motioned for them to get back to shore. Mitchie nodded and they both swam back towards the dock. Shane gripped onto the dock and pushed himself up. He shook his hair, spraying water all over the place and leaving his hair a mess on top of his head. He then extended his hands out to Mitchie, Mitchie took them and with his help got onto the dock.

She got onto her feet and gathered her hair onto one side and squeezed it to get the water out. She tied her hair up with a hair tie she had around her wrist and then looked down at Shane. She found him staring up at her with his cheeks tinted a light pink. "What?"

He cleared his throat and looked down. "Your um…your shirt."

She furrowed her brow and looked down to her shirt. Her eyes widened and she gasped. Her white shirt was now completely see through to her lime green bra and the skin on her stomach also was showing. She threw her arms around herself and blushed heavily. Shane Gray just saw her practically without a shirt.

Shane rose to his feet still staring at the ground. He carefully removed the black t-shirt he was wearing taking the white wife beater under it with it. Her eyes widened even further at the sight of his wet naked chest. He quickly untangled the wife beater from his shirt and slipped it back on. It was slightly better but the shirt was still wet and she knew what was underneath it. He extended his hand with his black shirt towards her. She looked at it for a few moments and then took it from him, mumbling a thanks. She, with a little bit of difficulty because the shirt was wet and she wanted to get it on quickly, finally got the shirt on. She rubbed her arm and laughed nervously. She couldn't believe Shane saw right through her shirt. Why, oh why did she wear white?

She averted her gaze and stared down at the dock and her eye caught something. "Shane, your guitar!"

Shane looked at her quickly then to his guitar on the dock. It had little droplets of water all over the body. He pursed his lips and sucked in a breath. "I knew I should have brought the case."

She looked up at him with a worried expression. "You're not mad?"

He looked back at her and shook his head. "Why would I be mad? I'm the one who pushed you into the water in the first place."

"But your guitar might be damaged!"

He lifted his eyebrows and gave her a look. "Mitch, it's just a guitar. I have plenty."

"But…but…"

He walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders as he looked down at her. "Are you trying to make me upset?"

She blushed lightly. "Well…no. I don't want you to be upset but…you go everywhere with the guitar. I expected more of a reaction."

"It's not ruined Mitchie." He responded and dropped his hands from her shoulders. He walked over and picked up his guitar and examined it. "No water got into the soundhole or on the strings. It's fine."

Mitchie sighed in relief. "Good."

"I however," He started walking back over to her after putting his guitar back down. "Was damaged." He held out his arm to reveal a scratch on his forearm.

"Oh." She replied monotonously. He gaped at her and then pouted. "You care more about my guitar than you care about me?"

She shook her head with a smile. "No, I care about you; however I know that you got that scratch on your arm yesterday after accidently running into one of the kitchen counters."

His face remained motionless and he blinked. "Oh."

She smirked in triumph. "Yeah, oh."

"And remember you started bleeding and my mom kicked you out because she "didn't want blood in her food"."

"Right." He slumped his shoulders at being caught. The little cut didn't really bother him at all he just wanted affection from Mitchie. He had it bad, he knew that.

Mitchie sensed his disappointment and felt her heart swell. Did Shane want to be close to her that badly? She smiled and walked forward towards him. She wrapped her arms around his wet body and rested her head on his chest. She felt Shane's arms strong arms wrap around her to keep her close to him. She inhaled and closed her eyes. Even though it was wet, Shane's shirt that she was wearing still had his scent.

Shane kissed the top of her head softly. He was still at amazed at the beauty he held in his arms. That he got her. She was all his. This wonderful, simply beautiful girl was his. She chose him. What did he ever do to deserve her? The one who had made him happier than anything else in the world, the one that made him feel alive. The one that saved him from himself. Mitchie lifted her head off his chest and looked up at him. And just like it always did when she looked at him, his heart pounded and he couldn't help but smile. She was the one girl who had an incredible power over Shane Gray. It was completely insane but he knew if she told him to go jump off a cliff, he would do it just to make her happy. Which he hoped she would never do.

"Do you want to go see if Caitlyn and Nate are done with their little moment?" She asked him.

_No. _He just wanted to stay locked in her embrace for hours.

"Sure."

She smiled softly at him and pecked his lips quickly. As she pulled away from him he found himself longing for more. Boy was he doomed. If he felt this way now when she was with him what was he going to be like when he went on tour and didn't see her for months.

He quickly grabbed his guitar and with his free hand, took her hand, interlacing his fingers with hers. She looked over at him and smiled softly. They walked across the camp grounds like that earning odds looks from the campers who were looming around.

Mitchie realized they must have been an interesting sight. Shane with his normally pin straight black hair all in a fritz on top of his head and only a soaking wet wife beater on. And her with Shane's shirt clinging to her and her hair messily thrown into a pony tail.

As they walked, they passed Tess, Peggy and Ella practicing by a tree. Tess spotted them and stopped singing and dancing and just watched them in shock.

Mitchie and Shane didn't acknowledge her except Shane gave Mitchie's hand a reassuring squeeze. Mitchie squeezed his hand back as a means of saying she didn't feel the way she did yesterday about Tess and Shane.

They were just nearing the kitchen when Nate rounded the corner and met up with them. Once he was close enough he furrowed his brow and stared at them oddly. "Why is it that every time I see you two, you're wet?"

Shane and Mitchie looked at each other and smiled and then looked back at Nate.

"It's not every time." Shane told him.

Nate rolled his eyes. "Close enough."

"Shane pushed me into the lake." Mitchie explained.

"And then she pulled me in with her." Shane added.

"And then we started to splash each other." Mitchie finished.

"And that explains why you're wearing Shane's shirt…"

Both Mitchie and Shane blushed at the memory of why exactly she was wearing Shane's shirt. "Well, um, you see, I was wearing white today and since it got wet…"

Nate held up his hand. "I got it, thanks."

Mitchie blushed harder and buried her face in Shane's shoulder. Nate looked at Shane and smirked to which Shane gave him a look.

"So you and Caitlyn done with your flirting?" Shane asked with a smirk. Mitchie lifted her head and grinned at Nate who suddenly looked very shy.

"We weren't flirting." Nate protested. "I just wanted to hang out with her. I didn't know Mitchie was practicing with her."

"Oh really?" Shane inquired with a smirk. "I suppose when you told me shut up this morning about how Mitchie would be practicing with Caitlyn all day you weren't really listening?"

Nate stared at him blankly as Shane's smirk grew. Nate narrowed his eyes. "Shut up." He muttered.

"I know you like her Nate. You really don't need to make excuses."

"But Mitchie…"

"Knows too." Shane nodded. "Right Mitch?"

Mitchie grinned and nodded. "So...I guess nothing happened then?"

"Um...no…we were just, um, talking." Nate replied shyly.

"You lose." Shane whispered into her ear and she elbowed him softly.

"You didn't even agree to bet anything." She whispered back.

"It was an unspoken bet and you didn't win." He responded.

She stuck out her tongue at him. She turned back to Nate and saw that he was giving them a questioning, suspicious look and she grinned.

"I'm going to go change and then go practice with Caitlyn some more." Mitchie said. Shane nodded as a response and they shared a quick kiss.

"See ya later Nate!" Mitchie called as she walked passed him.

"See ya Mitchie." Nate replied and both boys watched her walk away towards her cabin. Then Nate turned back to Shane with a smirk. "So…white shirt huh?"

Shane rolled his eyes and slapped the back of Nate's head softly. "Shut up Nate. I'm not a pervert."

Nate laughed. "Whatever you say Shane."

Shane blushed softly and shoved Nate, walking off in the direction of his cabin.

* * *

_**A/N: Next Chapter more drama starts!! And its real drama this time not 'omg he cheated on me!' drama. **_


	11. Chapter 11

_**A/N: So the drama starts this chapter! I hope you all like it! It's the longest chapter of this story yet!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock!**_

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Mitchie walked into the cafeteria and looked around. It was the day of Final Jam and everyone was excited. The cafeteria was bursting with life and was noisier than normal. Although that, in part, was probably due to the fact that Connect 3 was sitting in the cafeteria with them. Mitchie spotted her friends at their normal table and also saw the crowd of girls standing around flirting with Nate and Jason.

She made her way through the crowd and toward the table. As she passed Tess's table she didn't make eye contact with them but out of the corner of her eyes she saw Peggy and Ella stare after her longingly. She heard Tess call for their attention and they snapped back to her. Mitchie shook her head softly. They obviously didn't want to be around Tess anymore. Why didn't they just leave?

Then she realized that they didn't have someone to convince them to. They didn't have a Shane or a Caitlyn. Tess was the only friend they had. Mitchie looked over her shoulder and back to Peggy and Ella and thought that maybe she could be the one who convinced then that they didn't have to give up who they were. It wasn't right- Tess treated them like dirt and they didn't deserve it.

She sighed quietly and continued her way back to the table and walked up behind Shane. She placed her hand on his shoulder and leaned over his other side to kiss his cheek. He turned his head to look at her and smiled as she sat down beside him. "Good Morning." She greeted happily.

"Good Morning." He greeted in return.

"Morning Mitchie." Caitlyn greeted from the other side of the table.

"Good Morning!" She replied happily with a grin.

Caitlyn laughed. "You're in a good mood today."

Mitchie shrugged. "It's a beautiful day, isn't it? Just a wonderful day!"

"I guess." Caitlyn said with a small laugh, sharing an inquisitive look with Shane.

"Well it is! Life is good! I've got some great friends," She scanned her eyes over all the occupants of the table, "An amazing boyfriend," Shane smirked and slipped an arm around her, "A great family and I've had the best summer of my life!"

"Even with all the Tess drama?"

"Even with all the Tess drama." Mitchie nodded. "The Tess drama helped me realize that I don't have to hide who I really am. People will like me for who I am and if they don't well, that's their loss. It helped me become a stronger person and more confident in myself so yeah, I would say I won something out of the Tess drama."

Caitlyn smiled and Shane looked at her in adoration. "You're amazing did I ever tell you that?"

Mitchie blushed and bit her lip, shrugging her shoulders. "I don't know." She muttered shyly.

"Well you are. Most girls would just whine and complain about how bad their summer was because of what happened. That their lives were ruined because of it. But not you, you took all the bad things that happened and got something good out of it."

"There's no reason for me to complain." She shook her head lightly. "I have my real friends by my side and as long as I have that I'm happy. I'm not going to complain over something that was my fault anyway. I shouldn't have lied and I took the consequences for it. I had the whole camp hate for a few days and that was that. It's over now, I've learned my lesson, I only have to look forward to the good times ahead."

"I repeat you're amazing." Shane said and placed his hand on the side of her face and leaned into to kiss her softly. They didn't make it too long because both of them were aware of the rule about Public Display of Affection and they didn't want the attention of the whole cafeteria on them. By that time, nearly the whole camp was aware of their relationship, they didn't do much to hide it. They sat with each other at every meal, spent every waking moment of free time they had together, walked around Camp holding hands and not to mention all the flirting at the dock. But now the whole camp was in the cafeteria and they knew that all eyes would be on them and made them, especially Mitchie, uncomfortable.

"So where's your breakfast Mitch?" Caitlyn asked after the couple parted and Mitchie settled into Shane's side.

Mitchie smirked and glanced down at the plate in front of Shane. Shane caught her look and slid his plate away, covering it protectively. "Get your own missy."

"Pleeeaase!" She grinned and gave him the puppy dog look. He stared at her a few moments, narrowed his eyes slightly, grumbled and pushed the plate in front of her. Mitchie grinned in triumph and took the fork on the plate and stuck it into a piece of bacon. Shane watched her eat his breakfast and rested his elbow on the table. "I hate you."

Mitchie smiled at him and shook her head, her mouth full of food. After she swallowed she said, "No you don't."

"Fine…I hate that you stole my breakfast." He replied.

Mitchie looked down at the plate in contemplation and then finally sighed and pushed the plate back in front of him. He glanced down at the plate and then smiled over at her.

"How about we share?" He offered. She smiled back at him and snatched a piece of bacon off his plate and held it out for him. "Deal."

He smirked and reached out and grabbed it with his mouth. She giggled and he picked up a piece and did the same for her.

Caitlyn rolled her eyes and groaned, drawing the couples' attention to her. "I think I'm going to become diabetic just by watching you two."

"I think its cute." Lola said from her spot between Caitlyn and Sander.

"Too cute." Barron added and Caitlyn nodded.

"They're in the early part of their relationship they're supposed to be all lovey dovey." Lola responded.

"And they're not that bad." Sander reasoned. "Remember two years ago when Lola had her first boyfriend." He cleared his throat and continued in a higher voice to mimic her voice, "Oh My God Derek is so cute! He is the greatest! Isn't he cute? He's so cute!" He curled in his index, middle ring finger, leaving his pinky and thumb out and put it to his ear signaling a phone. "Yes Derry, aw really?! I love you too!"

Lola was glowering at him the whole time and slapped him upside the head. Sander laughed as he brought his hand to the back of his head. "I'm just saying…Shane and Mitchie aren't as bad as some couples."

"As sickening as they are I do have to agree," Nate finally joined the conversation, the girls that held his and Jason's attention went back to their own tables, "I've seen worse."

"Especially in school." Lola said. "Walking through the hallways, holding hands, kissing, giggling."

"Oh but the worst are preteens!" Caitlyn commented.

"Hello!" Shane's voice finally broke their conversation. "You do realize we're right here." He motioned to himself and Mitchie.

"Yeah," Nate replied, "So?"

Shane sighed and rolled his eyes and Mitchie chuckled.

The rest of the day passed quickly. After breakfast, Mitchie went with Caitlyn to practice for their After Final Jam performance, Barron and Sander went to practice their number and Shane, Nate and Jason went to talk to Brown.

Connie gave Mitchie and Caitlyn the day off because she knew they would be excited for Final Jam and they still had to practice for their number. It was also one of the last days of camp and she wanted the girls to have some fun.

The only time that all of them saw each other again before Final Jam was at lunch and dinner.

Right after dinner, Shane kissed Mitchie good luck and then went off with Nate and Jason to set up for Final Jam.

Right before Final Jam, Caitlyn and Mitchie met up with Lola, Barron and Sander and they all walked to the Camp Rock Theater. They saw all the other campers and family members walking in through the main entrance. Mitchie caught a look at all the people inside and felt her heart pounding in her chest.

Caitlyn looked over to her and noticed the nervous look on her face. "Don't worry, you'll be fine."

Mitchie swallowed and turned her gaze to her friend. "I never sang in front of such a large audience before. What if I screw up? "

Caitlyn sighed and walked over to her, placing her hands on her shoulders reassuringly. "You won't screw up. You performed in front of Brown's class, sure you were a little nervous at first but you got over it and you did great! And I know this is a larger group but look at it this way…at least its not thousands of people. When Connect 3 performs they perform in front of thousands of people."

"But that's different." Mitchie protested.

"How so?"

"All the people that they're performing for already loves them. Those people in there have never heard be sing except for a few and I don't know if they'll like me."

"Mitchie you're really good!"

Mitchie glanced down at the ground, shuffled her feet and shrugged her shoulders. Caitlyn rolled her eyes and sighed. "Hey where's that confidence you were talking about this morning?"

"It disappeared."

"Well tell it to come back!" Caitlyn exclaimed. "I know you can do this! You rocked at every single rehearsal we had and you're going to blow them away tonight!"

Mitchie looked up at Caitlyn and seeing Caitlyn so confident about her made her some of her confidence restore. She smiled softly and nodded.

Caitlyn smiled at her. "That's my girl." She dropped her hands from Mitchie's shoulders and grabbed her wrist. "Come on let's head back stage!"

Mitchie chuckled as Caitlyn pulled her along, "Alright I'm coming!" She followed Caitlyn around the theatre to the back entrance and along the way she saw a man leaning against the wall. He was wearing a derby and a pair of dark shades and he watched her walk with a smirk on his face. Mitchie furrowed her brow and sped up her walk until she got into the theater.

Once the door closed behind them, Mitchie stopped Caitlyn and Caitlyn turned to look at her curiously. "Did you see that man out there?"

"Yeah," Caitlyn nodded, "What about him?"

"He was kind of creepy. He kept smirking at me."

Caitlyn looked over Mitchie's shoulder to the door and made a face and then looked back at Mitchie. "I wouldn't worry too much about it."

Mitchie hummed thoughtfully and bit her lip.

"Come on." Caitlyn motioned her head for them to keep going. Mitchie nodded and followed her. As they approached the stage they heard Brown talking to the audience and the audience cheering.

She left Caitlyn standing there to watch Brown on stage and she started to wander around back stage. She saw Barron and Sander with a few of their dancers quietly going over some last minute things in a corner.

As she rounded corner she heard Tess' voice.

"5,6,7,8! _Come on, come on, come on look at me." _Mitchie hid behind a curtain so she wouldn't be seen a quietly peeked her head out to see what was going on. She saw Tess trip and then turn to Peggy and Ella with an annoyed look. "This is not amateur night! This is serious!"

"We did it right!" Ella protested desperately.

"No, you didn't, you never do!" Tess cried and Mitchie frowned. Boy was she glad she quit, she wouldn't be able to stand it if Tess yelled at her like that. She continued to watch Tess yell at Peggy and Ella and smiled at what she heard next.

"Stop telling us what to do! You're the one who's ruining everything! You're too intense all the time and I'm sick and tired of picking up your slack too!" Peggy snapped and turned to walk away. Tess called after her and grabbed her arm to stop her. Peggy tore her arm away and continued on her way and then Ella stepped up to the plate and had her turn to tell off Tess.

"You know what, don't worry about me! Do it yourself, I'm done! BTW, your lip gloss is SO not glossy anymore!" Ella huphed, turned on her heel and walked away leaving Tess in a state of shock. Mitchie chucked quietly at Tess getting a taste of her own medicine and immediately covered her mouth, her eyes widening in alarm when she saw Tess look her way. Tess scoffed and then stormed off towards the stage.

Mitchie sighed in relief that she wasn't caught and headed back to Caitlyn. On her way she saw Ella with Sander and Barron. She looked like she was asking them something and they smiled, nodded, and Barron took her hand and led her towards the dressing room.

Mitchie walked up to Caitlyn and Caitlyn turned to look at her. "Where did you go? You just disappeared."

"I just wanted to look around." Mitchie replied and their attention was drawn to the stage when Brown started to speak again.

"Okay put your hands together for Barron James, Sander Lawyer and the Hasta La Vista Crew!" Brown ran off to the other side of the stage and Barron, Sander and their dances came on from upstage. They soon called Ella on from side stage and she joined in the dance. Mitchie and Caitlyn smiled as they watched their friends perform and moved their bodies in motion to the up beat song and when they looked out into the audience they also saw Connect 3 moving to the beat.

"_H-A-S-T-A! La VISTA! H-A-S-T-A! HASTA LA VISTA!" _The audience burst into applause at the end of the song and Mitchie and Caitlyn cheered as well.

Brown ran back on stage and after he calmed down the audience, he announced the rest of the group which was the "it" girls, or rather the "it" girl. He ran off the stage and Tess walked onto the stage with a bunch of mirrors. Caitlyn rolled her eyes and scoffed and leaned to whisper to Mitchie, "Of course she has mirrors."

Mitchie looked at her, pursed her lips, and then turned back to watch Tess. She recognized the song as the one Shane was helping her with. Mitchie crossed her arms and sighed at the lyrics.

She glanced at Shane and saw that he looked like he was trying to enjoy it, Nate showed no response at all as he wrote down his comments on her and Jason was just moving to the beat of the song.

Suddenly Mitchie noticed that Tess looked distracted. She started looking around the stage and fumbling her steps. She stopped singing and only the background track on the CD kept playing and she tripped forward, making the audience gasp and made Caitlyn chuckle. Tess looked around at her dancers and then finally ran off to the other side of the stage. Mitchie frowned when she saw her run into a corner and curl up on the floor. What ever happened to Tess up there really made her upset.

Brown walked back on stage. "Well it looks like we have basically finished the co-" He turned when Dee grabbed his arm and handed him a piece of paper. He looked down at it and then spoke into the microphone, "Put it on pause! We've got a last minute edition! Come on up, Margaret Dupree!"

Dee let out a cheer and encouraged the audience to cheer along with her. Mitchie and Caitlyn were wondering the same thing when Ella voiced it for them, "Who's Margaret?"

Peggy stepped up behind them with her guitar around her. "I am."

Ella turned to her and gave her a half hug while Mitchie smiled at her. Good, Peggy finally broke free of Tess was doing her own thing.

A purple light lit the stage and Peggy walked out strumming her guitar. Soon after she started singing. As Mitchie watched her and listened to the lyrics of her song her suspicions about how Peggy was really feeling about Tess were proved to be true. Peggy always felt in the dark and that she was just following Tess and she was just there to cheer Tess on when she won. Mitchie loved the lyrics to Peggy's song. They were so real and so true. And seeing her up there singing about how she had to break free and be her own person calmed most of Mitchie's nerves to go up there and sing herself.

When Peggy's song was almost over she saw Caitlyn grab her laptop bag and walk over to the opposite wall. Mitchie watched her curiously as Caitlyn hit a few buttons on her laptop and then plugged her computer into the system of the theater.

"_Here I am, oh, oh, oh. Here I am." _

When she finished her song the audience burst out into applause and Shane, Nate and Jason furiously scribbled down their notes. Peggy stayed on stage for a moment longer and then finally retreated off to the side.

Brown let the audience cheer for a while before walking back on stage. "Wow! She was amazing I know! I know! Alright, alright settle down!" The audience slowly calmed down and once they were quiet he started talking again. "Woo! I guess that's it, it's officially the end of Final Jam and time for our judges to go off in private and well, judge."

Shane nodded and the three of them rose to their feet and the audience started to cheer again. They all ran across the stage and then to the back of the theater to judge.

"So check you in a minute." Suddenly a loud noise boomed across the theater and everyone looked around in inquiry. "Excuse me…just a minute…" Brown walked off stage and met Caitlyn and Mitchie in his path holding each others hand. "It's the end of Final Jam." Mitchie told Brown hopefully. Brown looked around and walked around to the other side of them and Mitchie and Caitlyn followed him. "I was so hoping you'd catch on." He told them quietly and they both grinned. "So go out there, steal their hearts, and rock it poppet!" He smiled and winked at her before running over to where Shane, Nate and Jason were.

Caitlyn handed Mitchie the microphone and fixed her hair. "Ok, you can do this Mitchie, its all you!"

Mitchie let out a breath as Caitlyn ran off towards her laptop and started the track. Mitchie stepped onto the stage and her smile fell. Her nerves struck her once again at the sight of all the people. Then she saw Shane quickly look over his shoulder and give her a small smile and she knew she had to keep going. She walked out onto the stage and waited for her cue to come in.

_I've always been the kind of girl_

_That hid my face_

_So afraid to tell the world_

_What I've got to say_

_But I have this dream_

_Right inside of me_

_I'm gonna let it show, it's time_

_To let you know_

_To let you know_

By the time she reached the chorus she had gained all of her confidence back. Being up on that stage just felt right to her. She knew she could rock her song out and blow these people away.

_This is real, this is me_

_I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be, now_

_Gonna let the light, shine on me_

_Now I've found, who I am_

_There's no way to hold it in_

_No more hiding who I want to be_

_This is me_

_Do you know what it's like_

_To feel so in the dark_

_To dream about a life_

_Where you're the shining star_

_Even though it seems_

_Like it's too far away_

_I have to believe in myself_

_It's the only way_

_This is real, This is me_

_I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be, now_

_Gonna let the light, shine on me_

_Now I've found, who I am_

_There's no way to hold it in_

_No more hiding who I want to be_

_This is me_

A bright grin spread across her face when as she sang the last note out. Or what she thought was the last note. She got an odd look on her face when the music kept going. She looked off to the stage where Caitlyn was and gave her a questioning look. Caitlyn smirked and that's when Mitchie heard it.

_You're the voice I hear inside my head_

_The reason that I'm singing_

_I need to find you, I gotta find you_

She snapped her head forward and saw Shane walking up the platform, microphone in hand, smiling at her. The day before he had managed to convince Caitlyn to tell him what Mitchie was performing and created a plan to sing with her. With his help Caitlyn mixed his song with hers. He figured that since Mitchie wasn't really in the contest anyway he would make her amazing song even better by adding his in with it and singing with her.

_You're the missing piece I need_

_The song inside of me_

_I need to find you, I gotta find you_

Mitchie joined him on the last line as she walked towards him. She smiled when she met up with him in the middle of the platform. They both stared intensely into each others eyes as they sang their hearts outs.

_This is real, this is me_

_I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be, now_

_Gonna let the light, shine on me_

_Now I've found, who I am_

_There's no way to hold it in_

_No more hiding who I want to be_

_This is me_

_You're the missing piece I need_

_The song inside of me _

_You're the voice I hear inside my head_

_The reason that I'm singing_

_Now I've found, who I am_

_There's no way to hold it in_

_No more hiding who I want to be_

_This is me_

By the end of the song they both had grins on their faces and their hands were intertwined. The audience cheered loudly from all around them and Mitchie could even hear her mom cheering for her. Both of them were tempted to kiss one another but they knew it wasn't an appropriate time. So instead Mitchie threw her arms around Shane and he wrapped his arms tightly around her. "Great Job Mitch." He whispered in her ear. "You were amazing."

She grinned and stayed locked in his embrace for a few more moments before Shane finally broke off, smiled at her and headed back to where Nate and Jason stood. Mitchie smiled and headed off stage. She met Caitlyn and they ran towards each other and hugged each other while squealing. "You did it, I mean I did it, WE did it!"

The audience calmed down and Brown, Dee and Shane all stood up on the stage. Dee held the trophy while Brown held the winners name in his hand. "Okay gang," Brown started, "This is it. The winner of Final Jam this year is…drum roll please…" A drum roll sounded while Brown opened the card. "Margaret Dupree!"

The audience burst out into applause and rose to their feet. Peggy stood off side to the stage staring out in shock. Mitchie, who was standing behind her, grinned and gave her a little shove. "You won! You won!" A grin split Peggy's face as she stood frozen to her spot. "You gotta go! You gotta go!" Ella exclaimed and pushed her forward. Peggy finally started moving and ran onto the stage. Brown offered her a hug and she willingly accepted it and then Dee handed her the trophy. She showed it off the audience and then Shane congratulated her.

Mitchie and Caitlyn looked at each other, grinned and hugged each other again. Tess who was standing in the back slowly approached them. "You guys were really great."

Mitchie and Caitlyn looked at her in shock and confusion. "Thanks."

"So I told Brown you guys didn't take my bracelet." Tess told them quietly.

Mitchie and Caitlyn's eyes widened. "Wow…" Mitchie muttered. "Um…thank you."

"See ya next summer." Tess said.

"Uh sure."

Tess smiled at them softly and then walked away. Mitchie and Caitlyn looked at each other and gave each other the same confused and shocked look. That was the last thing they were expecting from Tess especially sounding so sincere.

Mitchie stepped outside the theater to get away from all the people and the hot and stuffy, crowded back stage. The night air was cool and she sucked a breath in and let it out and smiled.

She couldn't believe the success that went on that night. First it was Peggy and Ella breaking free from Tess and then Tess realizing she had been wrong the whole summer and changing her attitude, and then the success of her duet with Shane, and then finally Peggy winning her well deserved prize. It was an over all amazing night.

"Mitchie!" She turned around and saw her parents behind her. She grinned and ran over to them, launching her self into her father's arms. Steve embraced his daughter and pulled back a minute later and smiled at her. "You were fabulous!"

"Honey I'm sorry you didn't win." Connie stated.

Mitchie smiled and looked between her parents, but mostly focused on her mother. "But I did. I won the best summer of my life, thanks to you."

Connie smiled softly and reached out to hug Mitchie. "I love you." Connie whispered in her ear and then pulled away from the hug.

"Now," Steve started, crossing his arms, looking at Mitchie half seriously, "About that boy you were singing with. You looked pretty close there."

Mitchie blushed and glanced down at the ground. "Um…well…"

"Don't worry Steve." Connie spoke up for her daughter. "Shane's a good boy. I've already given him my approval."

"Approval?"

"They're together. They've been together for about a week now right Mitchie?"

Mitchie nodded quietly.

"I see." Steve replied. Mitchie looked up at him and smiled shyly. She knew her father was over protective of her and he didn't really like Shane. At least the Shane that was on TV.

"Oh here he is now." Connie stated and Mitchie looked over her shoulder to see Shane emerging from the back door. He looked over to her and smiled. She smiled back and waved him over. He jogged over and stood next to her as he looked at her parents.

"Hi Shane." Connie greeted kindly.

"Hello Connie." He greeted in return with a soft nod and then his eyes fell on Steve who was giving him a stern stare. "You must be Mitchie's father." He held out his hand for him. "I'm Shane, it's a pleasure to meet you sir."

Steve stared at the boys hand for a moment and then reached out to shake it. "Yes…a pleasure to meet you as well Shane. I must say you don't seem at all like you are portrayed on TV."

Shane looked down in shame and then quickly looked back up at him. "That's who I was. I'm not that person anymore. I regret everything I've done in my past and I've changed for the better." He looked to Mitchie and smiled. "All thanks to Mitchie."

Mitchie blushed and quietly took his hand in hers. Steve looked like he was about to speak when Connie placed her hand on his arm. "Steve why don't we leave these two kids alone?"

Before he had anytime to protest, Connie gave him a look and he sighed in defeat and followed his wife away from the couple, but not before giving Shane a look that said they had unfinished business.

After they were out of sight, Shane and Mitchie turned to each other, smiled and embraced each other tightly. After their intense hug, Shane pulled away slightly and placed his finger under her chin and brought her lips to meet his. Mitchie slid her arms around his neck and responded to the kiss.

"You were fantastic Mitchie." He whispered breathlessly after they parted. "I knew you could do it."

Mitchie bit her lip and smiled. "Well I had a pretty good support team." She giggled softly. "And I was nervous at first. And then I saw you and it just started to fade. But when I was up there singing it just felt right you know? I was nervous but I just concentrated on the excitement and the thrill I got from singing and being up on that stage. Is that how you feel when you perform?"

Shane nodded. "Every single time. I've been performing for the last three years so I've lost the nervousness except if its in front of a huge crowd, but I still get the rush and the excitement from being up there and singing."

She smiled and leaned into kiss him again when they heard a voice from behind them.

"Hello Shane."

Shane broke apart from Mitchie and spun around quickly. His smile faded and his face paled at the man in front of him.

"Dad?"

* * *

**A/N: 0o0o0o0o0o0**


	12. Chapter 12

_**A/N: So THIS is the longest chapter of this story so far! It has some drama, some Naitlyn fluff, and then a WHOLE bunch of intense drama angst! I almost cried writing it.**_

* * *

An unnerving silence fell upon the Camp Rock grounds. Even the noise from inside the theater just seemed like a hardly noticeable background noise. Everything was unnaturally still. It was like time had frozen.

Mitchie's wide eyes flicked between Shane and the man standing only feet away from him. Shane was utterly still, he was almost like stone; the only evidence that he was alive was his chest moving up and down with his even breathing. His face was unreadable and all color was drained from his cheeks. The man, who Shane had identified just a few seconds ago as his father, stood staring at Shane just as motionless. But he held Shane's own smirk; only it seemed more sinister. He had removed his shades and hat to reveal that he had the same brown eyes and the same jet black hair as his son.

Shane's father took a step forward and Mitchie felt Shane tense beside her. She cast a concerned look in his direction but he still stood still as stone.

"Shane." His father's deep voice cut through the thick silence and Shane inclined his head an inch to the side.

"What are you doing here?" Shane's voice was low and monotonous.

His smirk grew into a grin and he continued to walk forward. Every muscle in Shane's body tensed as he watched his father approach him.

"I came to see you."

Shane's eyes were dark and cold as he stared at his father. His hands curled into fists at his sides and he let out a long breath through his nose.

"Oh come now Shane." His father reached out for him and Shane flinched back, his glare never wavering.

"Don't touch me." He hissed.

His father looked taken aback and let his hand fall to his side. He stopped walking forward but didn't walk back either. He remained in his position only a few feet from Shane.

Shane was breathing more heavily now, his chest rising and falling more quickly. His jaw clenched and he swallowed hard.

Mitchie watched their interaction in worry. She wondered this man had done to make Shane so on guard. She had never seen him that angry, not even when he was still a jerk.

The man finally stepped forward and reached out again. Shane watched his hand extend towards him and then shoved his hand off of him when it was placed on his shoulder. A look of fury crossed his face and he jumped back, snarling. "I said don't _touch_ me!"

Mitchie winced at the ferocity of his voice. His voice echoed throughout the camp although no body probably heard him due to the noise inside the theatre.

Movement caught Mitchie's eye and she looked in that direction. She saw Brown walk out of the back door of the theatre looking perplexed. Apparently he had heard Shane's exclamation. His eyes widened when his eyes landed on Shane and his father.

Neither Shane nor his father seemed to notice Brown and only stared at each other. Shane with his unwavering death glare and his father with an exasperated look.

His father sighed and took a tiny step forward. "Shane, son-"

Shane growled and his eyes narrowed. "You are _not_ my father."

"Shane-" He tried to protest and once again walked forward.

"Don't come any closer." Shane snapped threateningly.

His father raised his hands innocently. "I just want to talk Shane."

"I don't want to talk to you." He growled.

"I think we should." His father tried to reason with him calmly.

Shane remained silent, clenching his jaw, and literally shaking with fury. His father took another step forward and Shane simultaneously took a step back.

"Alright." His father gave an exasperated sigh and stopped walking. "I won't come near you. How about we just stay here and talk."

"I'm not going to talk to you!" Shane cried. He sucked in a breath and bravely walked towards his father. "I don't want anything to do with you!" He snapped. He walked until he was only inches away from the older man's face. He stood up straight and tall, looking more menacing and threatening than Mitchie could have imagined him to be.

"No one asked you here! So I would appreciate it if you just left me alone!"

His father opened his mouth to protest but Shane growled, backed off, shoved past him and stormed off into the night.

Mitchie, his father and Brown all watched him until his form started to disappear. His father snapped his gaze to Mitchie and Mitchie shrunk under his intense stare. He pursed his lips and without a sound headed off in the opposite direction.

"Shane!" Mitchie finally found her voice and started to run after him.

"Mitchie." Brown's crisp voice called out to her and she stopped. She turned around to look at him and he shook his head slowly. Mitchie furrowed her brow, looked over her shoulder to where Shane had disappeared and then back to Brown. She looked down at the ground and walked over to Brown.

She looked up at him and gave him an inquisitive stare. "Brown…what-?"

Brown gave her sympathetic look. "It's not my place to tell you poppet." He responded. "He'll tell you." He motioned off to where Shane disappeared. "But not right now. Give him time to calm down."

Mitchie nodded and once again turned her head in the direction Shane had gone. She was really curious as to what was going on but she was more worried about Shane. He was obviously upset and she wanted to comfort him but Brown knew him better than she did. And if he said he needed to be alone then she would let him be alone. But how much time did he need?

"Give him about an hour." Brown answered her unasked question and she sighed quietly. An hour. She would have to let Shane be for an hour. She had to worry about Shane for an hour. An hour truly wasn't that long at all but to her it felt like it could have been a decade.

Brown placed his hand on her shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze and then retreated back into the theatre. Mitchie closed her eyes and let out another sigh. It took all that was in her to not run after Shane but she pulled her self in the opposite direction.

She rounded the corner of the theatre and immediately pulled back. She pressed herself up against the wall of the theatre and peeked her head around the corner. There, obviously in a private moment, was Nate and Caitlyn.

Nate leaned against the wall of the theatre while Caitlyn stood only a foot away from him. They were talking quietly while staring into each other's eyes. Mitchie strained her ears to hear what they were saying.

"So…guess I found earlier." Nate said with a small smirk.

"What?" Caitlyn responded with a smile.

Nate dug into his pocket and pulled out a folded up piece of paper. She looked at it curiously and took it from his fingers. She unfolded it, smiled and then looked back up at him. "My number?"

He nodded. "It was under Shane's bed in his cabin. How it remained under there for four years is beyond me."

She folded the paper back up and held it out for him. "You might want this….just incase you want to call me."

He took it from her a soft smile spreading across his face. "Oh I won't be making the same mistake I made last time. I already put it in my phone."

Mitchie couldn't tell from where she stood because of the distance and the dark but she guessed that Caitlyn blushed due to the way she glanced away from Nate, bit her lip and shuffled her feet. Mitchie smiled despite her situation with Shane. Caitlyn was so helplessly in love with the curly haired pop star in front of her. And she knew the same was true for Nate.

Nate took out his phone, his fingers flew over the keys and he pushed it back in his pocket after a few seconds. Then Caitlyn's phone beeped and she took it out of her pocket. She smiled and giggled and glanced back up at Nate. Nate smiled at her and reached out and pushed her hair behind her.

"You know…" Nate started quietly. "I've been wanting to tell you something for the past four years."

Mitchie bit her lip and Caitlyn looked up at him expectantly.

Nate let out a breath and took both of her hands in his. "Caity." His voice was soft and shaky. "I really, really like you."

A look of shock crossed Caitlyn's face, then she smiled, and then it fell. She furrowed her brow and gave him a skeptical look. "I've changed in the past four years." She replied.

He shook his head softly. "No, you're appearance changed. You didn't change. You see Caity I don't care what's on the outside. I care what's on the inside. You're still the stubborn, hard headed, independent, beautiful, loveable girl that I developed a crush on all those years ago."

"Why didn't you tell me that summer?" Caitlyn inquired.

Nate shuffled his feet and glanced down at the ground. "It may not seem like Caitlyn but I am extremely shy. Especially when it comes to girls. Especially when it comes to girls that I REALLY like. There was no way I was going to say anything to you back then and…" He paused a moment. "And I thought you wouldn't like me." He admitted. "I felt I wasn't good enough for you."

Caitlyn's eyebrows shot up. "What? Are you serious? Nate you're…incredible! You're an amazing musician and insanely good looking. Do you not see the girls drooling all over you?"

"Well since I've been famous…"

Caitlyn shook her head, cutting him off. "I'm not talking about when you were famous. Here at camp, the first year we were here. All the girls were giving you goo-goo eyes and I was amazed that you decided to spend your time with me." She sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "They were a whole lot prettier than I was."

Nate furrowed his brow and placed his finger under her chin and lifted her head to meet his eyes. "Cait, in my eyes, you are the most beautiful girl in the world. Super models can't hold a candle to you."

Caitlyn stared at him for a few moments and then finally a small smile spread across her lips.

"So that leads me to one thing…"

"What's that?"

"You never told me how you feel about me."

Caitlyn took his hand in hers and moved an inch closer to him. "You really have to ask?"

Nate lifted his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders. "I would like to hear it all the same."

A bright smile spread across her lips. "I really like you Nate." And before he had a chance to respond she leaned in and kissed him.

Mitchie turned around to give them some privacy. She bit her lip trying to suppress a squeal. She was extremely happy that the two of them finally got together. She let out a quiet breath, smiled and then walked the other way.

She had to find some way to occupy her time for the next fifty or so minutes. Everyone was still in the theatre so she decided to head back in. She saw her parents talking someone else's parents a corner. Most of the kids were still buzzing about all the performances while some talked about other things. She saw Peggy and Ella chatting near the stage and she decided to make her way over to them.

On her way she nearly ran into Shane's father. She gasped when she came only inches away from him. She glanced up at his face and found she couldn't tear her gaze away from him no matter how afraid of him she was. He seemed to recognize her and cocked an eyebrow at her. He almost looked as if he was going to talk to her but he only huphed quietly and continued on his way. Mitchie didn't realize she was holding her breathe until he was out of her sight.

She swallowed and continued on her way to Peggy and Ella.

"Hey guys." She greeted happily once she reached them.

Peggy and Ella looked at her and smiled. "Hey Mitchie." They greeted at the same time.

"Congratulations again Peggy." Mitchie told her, moving to sit on the stage beside her, eyeing her trophy. "You totally deserve it."

"Thanks." Peggy replied with a smile. "You were amazing though. I mean you would have won with that song! Why didn't you participate in Final Jam?"

"I was kind of…banned."

Peggy's eyes widened. "Banned? How? Why?"

Mitchie sighed quietly. "Tess." And then she went on to explain the charm bracelet situation.

"Oh." Peggy replied icily and rolled her eyes, shaking her head. The annoyance obviously directed at Tess.

"But she apologized for doing that…after Final Jam though so it was too late." She shrugged and then smiled. "But it doesn't matter. You totally deserved to win! I wasn't looking to win, I was just looking to have fun and that's what I did."

Peggy nodded, smiled and laughed. "And besides you did win. You go the best prize of them all."

Mitchie furrowed her brow and cocked her head to the side. "What's that?"

"Hottie Shane Gray." Ella supplied.

Mitchie blushed and Peggy shot Ella a look. She shook her head and turned to Mitchie. "Yeah, but Ella's right. This shiny trophy doesn't compare to having Shane Gray fall head over heels for you."

"Oh he's not-"

Peggy scoffed and gave Mitchie an exasperated look. "Mitchie PLEASE. I don't know much about love but the way that boy looks at you…it's like you're the only thing in the universe." She shrugged her shoulders. "Okay so it might not be love just yet. After all you've only known each other for a few weeks but its getting there. He definitely has strong feelings for you." She smiled at her. "You should have seen yourselves up there." She motioned to the stage where they were singing not too long ago. "Anyone could tell just by looking at you two that there was some deep attraction between the two of you."

Mitchie's face was red as a tomato when Peggy had finished speaking. No matter how many times someone told her how much Shane cared for her; she still found it hard to believe. Maybe because at times it still felt like she was in a dream and she was going to wake up at any minute. Because only in her wildest dreams could an amazing guy like Shane Gray ever fall for her. But her wildest dream had become a reality. Shane Gray did have feelings for her. And according to Peggy and Ella, he had fallen head over heels for her.

They talked for a while about everything. Peggy and Ella apologized for the way they treated her during the camp experience and Mitchie told them that it wasn't their fault. She got sucked in by Tess too so she knew how it felt. After they got everything out in the open they started talking just to get to know each other better.

Before Mitchie knew it the theatre had just about cleared out, everyone was instructed to go back to their cabins. Peggy and Ella said goodnight to Mitchie and then headed back to their cabin. Mitchie got up and started to head towards her mothers as well when she felt someone grab her arm. She spun around, her eyes wide and relaxed when she saw it was only Brown.

"Go talk to him." He instructed warmly.

Mitchie furrowed her brow. "But curfew…"

Brown shook his head with a small smile. "You're excused. Just…don't stay out too late alright?"

Mitchie nodded and smiled at him. "Thank you."

He nodded and then motioned his head towards the door. "Now go."

She gave him another smile and headed out the door. Once she was out into the night air she realized she had no idea where she was going. She had no idea where to find Shane.

She passed his cabin but only saw Nate and Jason sitting on the floor.

And then it finally struck her. The Lake.

Once she got to the lake she stepped onto the dock quietly and looked around for Shane. She narrowed her eyes to see in the dark and finally saw him on the shore, leaning up against a tree, staring out into the night.

She slowly approached him and stood beside him. He didn't move from his position but he did seem calmer. She took a seat in front of him and studied his face. He didn't look quite so angry any more but still there was something missing in his eyes. The lively spark was gone and she knew that he was still upset.

She sat quietly near him and for a while she thought that he didn't know she was there with him. He just continued to stare across the lake with a blank look on his face. And she didn't want to say anything that might upset him further so she just stayed as still as possible.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, his gaze turned to her. She gave him a weak smile but his expression didn't change. He only blinked and continued to stare at her. Her smile faded and she looked at the ground. She hated seeing Shane like this. He was usually so composed and lively. She might even have preferred his jerk side.

"I'm sorry." His smooth voice finally broke the silence. She snapped her up to look at him in shock. "That you had to see that." He elaborated. He sighed and leaned his head up against the trunk of the tree.

She bravely inched closer to him and reached out placing her hand on his knee comfortingly. He looked at her and the couple just stared at each other for a long while.

Mitchie felt the compelling need to comfort him. He had comforted her many times and that was not a one way street. She moved herself so she was sitting beside him. She reached out to take his hand and entwined her fingers tightly with his. She looked at him and gave him a look. He shook his head softly. "I'm fine."

Mitchie nodded, suppressing a sigh. She wanted to comfort him but she knew she couldn't push him. She wanted to hold him like he held her; she wanted to be his crying shoulder, in a sense. But Shane was way too strong for that. His pride would never allow himself to get so weak in front of her. So she took what she could get.

She also wanted to know what was going on but she also knew she couldn't push him with that either. It was early in their relationship; she didn't expect him to tell her his life story. Even though she wished he would trust her enough to tell her, it was personal and she respected that.

It seemed like hours had passed as the pair just sat there, but in reality were only just minutes.

"You're probably wondering what's going on." Shane spoke up after a while, his voice shaking.

"You don't have to tell me." She replied quietly.

Shane shook his head, staring straight ahead of him. "I want to." He took a deep breathe and Mitchie looked over at him expectantly.

"He was never really a father to me." He finally began. "I never saw him as a father. Or maybe I shouldn't say never, there was a time when we were close. But that was a long, long time ago. I hardly even remember it anymore."

Shane paused and silence once fell upon them. Not even the crickets were chirping that night. There was no wind and the only sound Mitchie heard was her own and Shane's deep, even breathing.

"I was just about five when he left." He continued in an almost whisper. "He didn't even give a warning sign. Not a letter or anything. He didn't even tell us goodbye. He was there one night when I went to bed and the next morning he was gone. Mom said he went to work early and like a naïve child I believed her. That was her excuse for the next few weeks, 'oh, he went to work early' 'oh he had to work late' 'he's very busy sweetheart.' But I was smart for my age. I noticed that she was looking more and more depressed as she went on and it only made it worse that she had a six month old to take care of. I didn't know why he left; I still don't know why he left."

Shane took a shuddering breath and Mitchie watched him, not making a sound or a movement.

"I wanted to break down, I wanted to be just like mommy and cry every night. I was confused as to why my dad left us. Left me. But I had to be the strong one. I was the man of the house, that's what Brown told me once and I couldn't let my family fall. Brown came and helped us a lot and eventually Mom got back to normal. But she moved into my sister's room and locked all my dads stuff away into her old bedroom and refused to let herself, or me go in there.

After a year, we finally settled into a new routine that didn't involve my father. Mom got a new job that let her work from home so she could watch my sister and take me to school. We all seemed to forget about him, it was as if he never existed. We were a happy family again."

He let a small smile grace his features as he stared wistfully into the night sky, obviously lost in a happy memory. But then he was brought back to reality and his smile faded and his face grew hard.

"Then when I was ten, he had the audacity to show up again. He walked in the door like he was just coming home from a normal day of work. My sister started screaming, she didn't know who he was, he was a stranger to her. My mother and I rushed into the room, both our protective natures on alert, and we both froze at seeing him. He smiled at us and greeted us happily, expecting us to welcome him home with open arms. But this wasn't his home anymore, he didn't exactly realize that. Mom sent me and my sister up to our rooms and all I could hear for hours was them screaming at each other. I never made anything out; I think I didn't want to listen. Then he came up to me and apologized for leaving but I was stubborn, like my mom, and didn't listen to him. I told him to get away from me and he did. He left. Until four years later." His last few words were chocked out and Mitchie had a feeling that what he told her before wasn't the worst part of the story.

He closed his eyes and shuddered, letting out a few deep breathes. Mitchie waited patiently as he prepared himself to tell the rest of the story. She sensed it was troubling for him.

"You don't have to tell me anymore." She whispered.

He shook his head, sucked in a breath and opened his eyes to look at her. "You deserve to know." Mitchie could see the anguish in his brown eyes and he turned to look out into the distance.

"I was home alone. My mom took my sister to this mommy/daughter tea party thing at the neighbors. I was just sitting down stairs playing my guitar when I heard a loud bang at the door. I was fourteen; I knew well enough not to answer the door when I was home alone. So I just continued on my guitar, glancing at the door every so often. Then the door slammed open, ripped right off its hinges." He closed his eyes, wincing at the memory. "He came in, rip roaring drunk. He started calling for my mom and I swiftly hid in the hall closet, knowing full well not to get in his way. He stormed the whole house, angrily calling out my mom's name. Then it all went quiet and I thought he was gone. I opened the closet door and he was standing right outside, grinning down at me with a look that scared me more than any horror movie ever could. He reeked of alcohol and I remained still not knowing what to do." He paused for a moment and swallowed hard. Mitchie could feel that he was shaking. "He grabbed my shirt and pulled me against him demanding me to tell him where my mother was. I told him I didn't know, I wasn't about to put my mother and my sister in danger. He growled at me and asked me again where my mother was; again I told him I didn't know. He got angry, he got furious. He threw me into the wall across the hall." Mitchie gasped and tears immediately rushed to her eyes. She had to force them back; this was not her time to cry.

"He took my guitar, smashed it until it was hardly recognizable anymore and threatened to hit me with what was rest of it." He went quiet again but only for a minute. "That is until he heard me crying." He continued quietly. "Then he sneered at me and called me a baby for crying, told me I wasn't a man, and other explicits I will not mention. But I could do nothing except cower and just take it, I didn't want him to hit me, I didn't want to anger him further.

Then I heard a scream from the doorway and my mother cry out my father's name. I heard her run into the room and she ran over to me. She cradled me in her arms while screaming at him while my sister whimpered in the doorway. Then after she realized that I was calm and not badly hurt she started going all out on him and they started a screaming match that was even worse than the one before. I heard a loud bang and it sounded like my mother was chocking. I looked up and sure enough, _he_ had her up against the wall with his hands around her throat. All my fear was gone, the only emotion left in my body was anger. I needed to protect my Mom. I got to my feet, grabbed a vase that was near by and…and with all the strength I could muster hit him in the back of the head. He fell to the ground, releasing my mother, unconscious. After I got over the shock of what I just did I ran over to my mom, made sure she was alright and we held each other for a very long time. Eventually my sister came and joined us too. I guess we fell asleep like that and when we woke up in the morning, he was gone. And that was the last time I saw him. Until tonight."

Mitchie stared at him, her eyes wide with shock and horror. She had never imagined something like that to happen. She never thought something so dark could have happened in Shane's past. No wonder he was so tense and refused to let his father anywhere near him.

Shane finally looked up to meet her gaze and saw her horror stricken expression. "I'm sorry I frightened you."

Mitchie shook her head slowly, her eyes welling up with tears. "No…" She whispered. "No…" She couldn't find the right words. "Oh My God Shane…I'm so sorry…I had no idea…I…"

He lifted his finger to her lips to quiet her. "It's okay Mitch; it's not your fault." His voice was still shaking and so was his body. It was quite clear that he had forgotten all about that night until tonight and the memory had shaken him up a lot.

She wanted to wrap her arms around him and hold him tightly. She wanted to take all his pain away. But she knew she had to let him come to her. If she threw herself at him, she would burst into tears and he would be the one comforting her. That wasn't right. Not tonight. Tonight was his.

Mitchie bit her lip and rested back against the tree trunk, her eyes never leaving his. His eyes were filled with so many emotions it was unreadable. His eyebrows furrowed and he sniffled and that's when Mitchie finally noticed his eyes sparkling in the moonlight. Sparkling with unshed tears. "I hate him. I _hate_ him." Shane seethed. "He caused so much pain for my family, my mother wouldn't speak for months, my sister couldn't go into any rooms without her eyes widening in fear. And I…" Suddenly his eyes widened and a look of terror crossed his face. Mitchie tensed and quickly looked around to see if the man they were just talking about was around. There was no sign of any life except for her and Shane. So she wondered what had Shane looking like he just witnessed a murder. "I'm no better." He whispered.

Mitchie furrowed her brow in deep confusion and shock. "What?" She breathed out.

"I left them. I hurt them. After all that happened with _him_, I was the one who was supposed to be there, I was the strong one. And I…left. I became that jerk. I didn't talk to them, visit them, and have anything to do with them for _years_." He closed his eyes tightly and a tear cascaded down his cheek. "God!" He growled, his free hand curling up into a fist. "I'm no better than him."

"No!" She cried out and gripped onto Shane's quivering arm. "Don't ever say that! You're nothing like him! You're not! You're _not_!"

Shane opened his eyes and looked up at her. His eyes were full of tears and a few more escaped and rolled down his cheeks. He didn't bother to hide them.

"Mitchie." He whispered. "I hurt them, I left my family when they needed me most, I became a person that they were ashamed of." He suddenly whimpered quietly and his lip quivered. "I told my mom I didn't need her anymore." His voice cracked, he closed his eyes, and buried his face in her shoulder.

"Oh Shane…" She whispered and her arms immediately surrounded him. He slung his other arm around and gripped her shirt pulling her closer to him. She closed her eyes and finally let a few tears of her own escape and just rubbed his back comfortingly. His shoulders were heaving slightly but that's all the evidence she had that he was crying.

"It's okay." She whispered into his hair. "Let it out. Let it all out."

And that's all it took. Just a few simple words from her and his sobs started. They never got too loud but they were audible and it broke Mitchie's heart. She hated when people cried and she hated it even more when people she loved cried. Her Shane, her big, tough, rock star Shane Gray just spilled out his deepest, darkest secret, just confessed to all he was feeling, let go everything that he had bottled up inside. He had told everything to her. He trusted her enough; he cared for her enough, to tell her, to see through him, to see him cry.

He eventually quieted down, his shoulders stopped heaving, and his body stopped shaking. He was completely still except the rise and fall of his chest. Mitchie was certain he had fallen asleep, he had become so peaceful.

She shifted under him to get more comfortable and that's when she realized he was still awake. He grabbed her arm and tried to keep her down. "Don't go." He whispered. His voice had returned back to normal but yet he sounded so broken.

She kissed the top of his head and tightened her grip around him. "I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere."

Shane let out a small hum in response and adjusted his position so his head was resting in her lap. She ran her fingers through his soft hair and just gazed down at him. Despite his tear stained cheeks, red puffy eyes and tussled hair, he was still the most beautiful creature she had ever set eyes on.

They stayed that way for a long while. Mitchie couldn't even think about leaving him. He needed her right now, more than anything. And he was resting on her lap, how could she ever say resist that?

After a while, Shane lifted his head, let out a breath and looked out towards the lake. He lifted his hands to his cheeks and tried to wipe away all evidence that he had been crying. He finally looked over to her and met her concerned gaze.

"What time is it?" He asked his voice even.

Mitchie was surprised by his question but dug out her cell phone from her pocket. Her brow lifted at the time display. "After midnight."

"Damn." He muttered with a soft chuckle. He shook his head and ran his hand through his hair. He looked at her and gave her a small smile. "We better get you to your cabin before your mom kills you."

"I'm not really worried about myself right now Shane." She replied honestly. He caught onto what she meant and gave her a small, reassuring smile. "I'm fine." He replied. "I don't want you to get in trouble."

He cleared his throat and groaned as he rose to his feet. He stretched out his muscles and then offered her his hand. She willingly took it and he helped her to his feet. He noticed that she was still giving him a concerned look and he leaned over and kissed her forehead, his lips lingering there for a few seconds longer.

He took her hand and they quietly walked towards Mitchie's cabin. Mitchie couldn't help but notice Shane's eyes wandering the dark grounds of camp as they walked. When either one of them would accidentally step on a twig, Shane would tense, look around, relax and keep walking.

They finally reached Mitchie's cabin and they stopped in front of the door. Mitchie cast one more worried look at him and he shook his head at her, silently telling her that he was fine.

"Thank you." He finally said. "For…everything. I don't know what I would have done without you."

"Shane…"

"No really Mitch." He cut her off, his face growing solemn. "If you weren't there when he showed up I would have done a lot worse than just yell at him. I forced myself to not lose my temper around you. And thank you for listening. I…never told anyone that story before. Nate and Jason know that I have a bad history with my father but don't know why. They tried to get me to talk with a counselor but I couldn't talk about it. But with you…" He raised his hand and gently stroked her cheek with his thumb. "You're so easy to talk to. You're so easy to open up to." He took a step forward and pulled her into his arms. "You don't know how much that meant to me." He whispered into her ear. "You don't know how much _you_ mean to me."

Mitchie felt her heart pounding wildly in her chest. What she had been trying to convince herself was real for the past week finally made itself clear. Shane Gray cared for her more than she could have ever imagined. It was truly the best feeling in the world, to be cared for so much by someone else. She had to let him know how much he meant to her. How deeply she cared for him.

She tightened her arms around him and rested her face against his chest.

"I will always be there for you Shane. _Always._"

* * *

_**A/N: Woah baby. That was intense. Tell me what you think! **_


	13. Chapter 13

_**A/N: Well last time I checked the poll result there were 3 votes for 'fluff' and 3 votes for 'both drama and fluff'. But the poll is still open for those of you who want to still vote! So go check that out and vote please!**_

_**This chapter mostly focuses on Shane and his thoughts about his ordeal with his father and everything. A bit angsty, a Shane pity party. And then some good Smitchie fluff at the end!**_

* * *

Shane heard a knock on his cabin door. He decided to ignore it for now, hoping whoever it was would go away. If it was Mitchie she would have just walked in, that's what he told her she could do, so it wasn't her. Nate and Jason had gotten up early, they had to take care of something for the band and wouldn't be back for a couple of hours. Anyone else, he just wasn't in the mood talk to.

He had barely gotten any sleep the night before. He was reluctant to let Mitchie go, he felt calm and relaxed around her, all his fears and worries evaporated in her presence. But it was already nearing one o'clock in the morning and he couldn't keep her out any longer. So with one last long hug and a kiss he ushered her into her cabin and headed back to his own. He found Nate and Jason fast asleep on their air mattresses and just climbed into bed with his clothes still on. He tried to sleep but whenever the wind whistled through the trees, a branch scratched against his window or Jason let out a little snore, he would jump and look around frantically. He hated being so weak and paranoid. That was not who he was. He was eighteen, an adult, he couldn't be afraid. And he tried to convince himself that he wasn't but his lack of sleep proved otherwise.

He didn't feel comfortable closing his eyes and letting his guard down until the sun started to rise. He had just started to drift off when Jason and Nate got up. He heard Nate and Jason arguing on whether or not to wake him up and he almost felt like telling to shut up but that would ruin the illusion that he was asleep.

He had lived with the two boys for three years and he swore that they never made so much noise getting ready as they had that morning. It seemed every movement they made was multiplied by a thousand. The floor creaking, the door closing (or slamming to Shane's ears), the water running, the toilet flushing, zipping of zippers, even shoe laces being tied made Shane want to take the nearest object and chuck it at them to shut up.

Finally they left and Shane was left in peace.

And then he heard the knock. He tried to ignore it and pushed the sound far away so it was just a background noise, hoping it would go away.

It didn't.

Whoever wanted to see him was very persistent. He growled and threw the covers off of him. He realized that whoever it was wouldn't stop until he answered the door. He jumped off of the bed and stormed over to the door.

"What?" He snapped, opening the door.

Brown's eyes scanned him and he frowned. "Geez Mate you look terrible."

Shane rolled his eyes and turned to go back to his bed, but left the door open for his uncle. He threw himself back onto his bed and buried his face into the pillow.

Brown sat down on the edge of his bed and stared at him in concern. "Are you alright Shane?"

Shane flipped over onto his back and glared at him. "I didn't get any sleep last night, Jason was snoring way too loud, and this morning they sounded like a damn herd of charging elephants. I'm tired and irritated and I just want to go sleep! No I am not alright!"

Brown stared at him blankly, not at all affected by his outburst. "I was talking about what happened last night."

Shane's glared faded but he was still scowling. "Sure." He muttered. "Just peachy."

"I'm sorry…I had no idea he was coming."

Shane sighed and crossed his arms. "It's not your fault Uncle Brown." He muttered.

"I know but I still feel bad. I should've stopped him." Brown replied.

"It's not like you told him where I was." Shane remarked. He saw Brown glance at him out of the corner of his eye and Shane's eyes grew wide at his silence.

"You didn't-"

"No I didn't."

Shane sighed in relief and gave his Uncle a look. "God Uncle Brown, don't do that to me."

"But I did tell your mother." Brown added hastily.

"My…mother?" Shane asked quietly, the conversation he had with Mitchie last night sparking in his mind.

"Just to let her know that I would take care of you and watch over you. Make sure you didn't do anything stupid. And she told me that your father called her and told her that he was coming to see his children. Your mom said that you weren't home and that neither was Cal. He must have traced you to here, maybe called your manager or something."

Shane clenched his jaw and gripped his bed sheets. That was a possibility; he had never mentioned his father to his manager so his manager wouldn't have any reason to not tell his father where he was.

"But he's gone now." Brown reassured him. "I told him to get off the property and that if he ever came back that I would call the police."

"Thank you." Shane whispered. His body was tense and he was still gripping the bed sheets. His glare combined with the dark rings around his eyes from lack of sleep made his dark eyes even darker and colder.

Brown nodded and rested his hand on Shane's tense shoulder. Shane glanced at him and saw the concerned look on his face. Shane's eyes softened and he slowly relaxed as he looked at the man in front of him. He was more a father to him than his real father could ever hope to be.

A sad look crossed his features. Brown was yet another innocent victim to his jerky attitude. Brown had been nothing but caring and fatherly for all of his life and he treated him like dirt, just like he did the rest of his family.

"I'll let you sleep then." Brown said softly and rose to his feet. When he was halfway across the room, Shane called out to him and he turned around.

"I'm sorry." Shane told him sincerely, looking pathetically broken.

Brown smiled softly and nodded, knowing exactly what he was talking about. "No worries Shane. I knew you'd come back eventually."

Shane tried to smile but his face remained the same.

"Get some sleep." Brown told him and then headed out.

Shane fell slowly back onto his bed and pulled his knees up to his chest. He stared out of the window and watched Brown's retreating form. As he watched his Uncle disappear he let his mind wander.

He was lucky with Uncle Brown; he forgave him before Shane even asked for it. Nate and Jason were ecstatic that they're best friend was back and like Brown, forgave him. Mitchie didn't know him for too long when he was still in his jerky Pop Star stage but she forgave him for the times that he did act like a jerk to her.

But what about the rest of his family? Out of everybody his mother and sister were probably the most hurt, after all they had been deserted by two of their family members. His mother, he knew only cared for his safety and once she heard of his change, would welcome him back with open arms. And then after her blub fest would she yell which he knew he deserved.

But Caley? His thirteen year old sister who held more in common with him then her dark hair and brown eyes. She wasn't too upset when their father left, she didn't know him at all, he was a stranger to her. But Shane, Shane was her big brother; the one she could always count on to be there for her.

He closed his eyes tightly and curled himself into a tight ball as a memory stung his brain.

"_Shay!" Eight year old Caley Gray ran through the two story house frantically. "Shay!" She cried and ran straight for her brother's room. She pushed the wooden door open and bounded towards him. _

_Thirteen year old Shane placed his guitar down beside him just in time to have his sister jump into his lap. Her small arms wrapped themselves around his middle and she buried her face in his chest. _

_His arms immediately surrounded her and started to rock her back and forth. She started to sob into his shirt and he rubbed her back and shushed her. He let her cry everything out until the only sound that erupted from her small body was the occasional hiccup. _

"_What happened Cal?" He asked looking down at her. _

_She lifted her face to meet his eyes and her lip quivered. He cocked his head to the side and lifted his eyebrows in question. _

"_Eric…h-he said, he said," hiccup, "he said that I was ugly and that no one liked me." _

_Shane furrowed his brow and frowned. "What? Cal, that's ridiculous, everyone loves you!" _

_She shook her head slowly. "Nu uh, not the kids in school. They were all laughing when he said it." _

"_They were?" _

_Caley nodded and sniffled softly, leaning her head against Shane's shoulder. "Eric and his friends," hiccup, "They said no one would want to be my friend," hiccup, "ever." _

_Shane ran his fingers through her long dark hair that always calmed her. "You have lots of friends Cal." _

_Caley shrugged and hiccupped again. _

"_Hey," Shane said gently and placed his finger under her chin, "look at me." She looked up at him and pouted. "You are the friendliest, funniest, nicest second grader I know. Anyone would love to be your friend." _

"_That's not what Eric says." Caley replied pitifully. Shane shifted her on his lap and looked at her seriously. _

"_Eric doesn't know what he's talking about, ok? He's stupid." Shane emphasized the last word and Caley giggled, cracking a smile. _

"_He's dumb." She agreed. "He can't even write his name in script!" _

_Shane's eyes widened for effect. "Really?!" _

"_Mmm hmm." Caley nodded. "And I can write my full name! Caley Ann Gray!" She stated proudly. _

"_See, you're smart too! There's no reason why anyone wouldn't want to be your friend!" _

_Caley grinned and wrapped her arms around Shane's neck. She hugged him tightly for a moment and then settled back onto his lap. "Thanks Shay, you always know what to say." _

_He smiled and tapped her nose lightly. "Anytime Cal." _

"_You're the best big brother ever." She smiled and rested her head against his chest. Her smile fell slowly and her face grew somber again. "Shay?" _

"_Yeah?" _

"_Can you promise me something?" _

"_What?" _

_She looked up at him. "Don't ever leave like Daddy did." _

_Shane furrowed his brow and he frowned. "Cal…I would never…" _

"_Promise me Shay." She whimpered, her eyes pleading. _

_He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to him. He kissed the top of her head softly and then rested his head on top of hers lightly. _

"_I promise." _

He groaned and pulled his blanket up over his head, shielding himself from the world. He didn't want anyone to see him. He felt like dirt, no he felt lower than dirt; there was no word to describe what he felt. He made a promise to his sister, to his mother, to himself that he would not do what his father did and what did he do? He went and broke it a million times over. He was the biggest hypocrite in the entire world.

What on Earth was wrong with him? He got a little fame, (okay, more like a lot…), but that was no excuse for him to turn into a monster. A monster worse than the Frankenstein Monster, Dracula, the boogie man and all other monsters combined.

How did anyone even stand being around him? He shuddered at the recollection of seeing Nate's, Jason's, Brown's, his mother's, Caley's and any one else he had come across' hurt faces in the back of his mind but before just a few weeks ago never paid any attention to it at all.

He grabbed his pillow and slammed it down over his head. He pressed the pillow tight to the sides of his head, hoping to drown out the sound of his thoughts. When he realized it wasn't working, he growled and sat up. He gripped the pillow tightly in both hands and then with all his might chucked it across the room. It hit the wall and exploded into a million feathers. He watched the feathers float down onto the wooden floor while his chest heaved up and down.

He pressed his palms to his eyes letting out a low whine and fell back onto his back. He remained in that position for a long time until he finally felt himself drifting off. His hands fell to his sides but his eyes remained close. He once again curled himself up in a ball under his blanket, not even caring that the heat from the July air was suffocating.

Guilty thoughts swam through his mind until his last second of consciousness.

* * *

"…I don't know he's been asleep ever since this morning." Shane heard a voice say as he started to awaken from him slumber.

"That's nearly twelve hours." He heard another voice say, it was foggy and he couldn't make out who it was. "You think he's sick?"

"I don't know, he has a pretty good grip on that blanket I can't feel his forehead."

Mitchie?

"I hope he's okay."

Jason?

He slowly opened his eyes and was met with the inside of the blanket. He could now feel someone on the bed beside him.

"I'm sure he's fine." Nate's voice rang out loud and clear. He shifted under the blanket and found that he was sticking to his sheets and his clothes and he could feel his hair sticking to his forehead and neck from the sweat.

He pushed the blanket off of him, not able to stand the heat any longer and felt relief when he felt a rush of cool air hit his sweaty skin. His eyes narrowed at the brightness of the room however and it took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust. When the room was clear again he saw Nate and Jason standing near the foot of his bed and Mitchie sitting next to him.

"Hey sleepyhead." Mitchie said lightly with a small smile.

Shane mumbled tiredly in response and sat up, rubbing his eyes. "What time is it?"

"It's about six thirty." Mitchie replied.

"Six thirty?" Shane asked in shock and Mitchie nodded. He couldn't believe he slept the whole day away, not even when he was a conceited pop star did he do that.

Wait a minute…he slept the whole day away…the last day of camp. The last day he had with all of his new friends, the last day he had with his girlfriend until she went home and he went back to being a star…and he slept it away.

'Great,' he thought bitterly, 'another person I've disappointed.'

"Shane are you ok?" Nate asked and Shane realized that the frustration was evident on his face. He glanced around the room and saw all three faces staring at him in concern, but the only one he was worried about at the moment was the girl who captured his heart.

"Mitch, I'm so sorry."

"For what?" She asked sounding thoroughly confused.

"This was the last day of camp and I left you alone."

She shook her head with a smile. She reached over and ran her fingers through his sweaty hair. "You didn't leave me alone; I had Caitlyn and the gang." She replied. "You had a pretty rough night last night; I don't blame you for sleeping it off."

He frowned still not pleased with himself. "This was our last day to spend together, how can you not be upset with me?"

Mitchie quickly glanced over to Nate and Jason. Nate quickly caught her look and saw the look on Shane's face and knew that it was his time to leave. He grabbed Jason's wrist and started to pull him outside and when Jason started to protest, Nate pinched his arm and pushed him out the door.

She flicked her gaze back to Shane and saw that he was still staring at her intensely. "Shane you deserved some rest."

Shane searched her face for any sign of frustration or disappointment but found nothing. Nothing at all. He huphed and crossed his arms, leaning against the backboard of the bed. He wanted Mitchie to be mad at him; he wanted Mitchie to blame him for ruining her last day with him.

"I don't deserve anything." He muttered staring at the blanket.

"What?" Mitchie asked in shock and inched closer to him. She reached out for him but he turned away from her. "Shane…"

"I don't deserve you." He added quietly.

"What? Shane, that's ridiculous!"

"Is it?" Shane snapped, whipping his head up to look at her.

"Yes." Mitchie replied sincerely. She reached over and ran her finger down his sweaty cheek and then rested it under his chin. After a few moments of staring into her eyes, he turned his face away. He collapsed onto this side and glared at the table next to his bed.

"How can you even stand to be around me?" He asked, voicing the rhetorical question from his thoughts.

He couldn't see Mitchie's face but he heard her intake of breath. She shifted behind him and before he knew it, her front was pressed into his back, her arm was draped over him, and her head was rested in the crook of his neck.

"What do you mean Shane?" She whispered into his ear. He tried to ignore the tingles that shot through his whole body at Mitchie being so close to him, he didn't want to feel like this, he wanted to be miserable.

"I'm a horrible person." He elaborated quietly.

She tisked in his ear and placed a soft kiss to his exposed shoulder.

Damn the tingles.

"No you're not." She sounded so sure of herself, so convinced that he was not the scum of the Earth that he felt he was. He closed his eyes tightly and turned his face into the pillow. He didn't deserve to look upon the face of an angel.

"Shane," She stressed, her grip around him tightening. "You're not."

"You don't know…"

"Let me guess." She said softly. "You feel you're a horrible person because you feel like you deserted your family like your father did, but you not only ignored them but you treated them like crap first. And it wasn't just your family that you hurt, it was your friends and you feel like they've forgiven you too easily. And you also feel like you've disappointed everyone who has ever cared for you."

Shane froze beneath her and slowly lifted his head to look at her in shock. She lifted her eyebrows and gave a nervous smile. "Was that right?"

"Exactly." He whispered. "How did you-?"

"I took some information from what you told me last night and also thought about what might make you upset."

Shane's brow furrowed. "I'm that readable?"

She shook her head. "Only because I know you Shane."

He pursed his lips and then sunk back down into his pillow.

"You're not a horrible person Shane." She repeated. "You're not like your father, you didn't purposefully get up and leave your family for no good reason at all. I'm sure your family was ecstatic that you were following your dream and becoming famous. I know you didn't become a jerk because you wanted to, it just sort of happened. It was a mistake and you're only human. The real Shane was in there," She tapped his chest where his heart was; "he was just hiding, blinded by your fame. I'm sure your family knows that. And as for your friends, Nate and Jason were never truly mad at you, they were more worried, so it was easier for them to forgive and forget. And maybe you did disappoint them all but again you're only human, you can't please everyone all the time, you have flaws. I disappointed everyone when I lied earlier in the summer. But you apologize and let it go; you can't dwell on the past. And as for me?" She nuzzled her nose into the side of his face. "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. Those few times that you were a jerk to me seem like light years away. All I can remember is how sweet you are, how kind and caring you are. You make my life complete Shane. And I don't care that you spent our last day together sleeping, I was worried about you the whole day. I'm not disappointed." She pushed the hair that fell over his forehead away. "We're together now, that's all that matters."

Shane laid there quietly soaking everything that Mitchie told him. He felt a rush of emotions flood through him. Guilt, anger, regret, sadness, and the most powerful…love?

He could feel Mitchie's lips against his cheek and quickly turning his head around, taking her off guard, he pressed his lips to hers. He knew she was in shock from his sudden action from her lack of response. It took her a few moments but she finally responded and that sent him over the edge. He shifted his body so he was facing her and took her into his arms pressing her body to his. Mitchie's arms went around his neck as their lips eagerly melded together in a dance of their own.

He pushed Mitchie down onto her back and hovered over her. His tongue grazed her bottom lip begging for entrance and Mitchie obliged. He might have been surprised if he wasn't so wrapped up in his emotions.

He felt Mitchie place her hands on her shoulders and for a split second he thought she was going to push him away but she only slid her hands up further and entangled her fingers in his hair. That movement pushed them closer as their mouths hungrily explored the others.

They only parted when the need for air was too great. With a gasp Shane pulled away and rested his head in the crook of Mitchie neck, letting his lips linger on her skin as he breathed heavily. He felt Mitchie panting under him and he pressed a soft kiss to her neck before lifting his head to meet her gaze. Her eyes were glazed, her cheeks flushed and her lips swollen. He realized he must have looked the same.

She smiled at him and smoothed down his hair. He didn't care about his hair at the moment; all he cared about was the beauty lying directly beneath him. The one, judging by that extent of that kiss, who felt just as strongly for him as he did for her, if that was possible.

He smiled back at her weakly, kissed her forehead softly and then rolled off to her side. Mitchie immediately slung her arm across his chest and snuggled into his side. He smirked and wrapped his arm around her to keep her there.

"That was…" She breathed, resting her head on his chest and giggled, "…beyond words."

His deep chuckle rumbled through his chest. "My thoughts exactly."

"Not that I'm complaining, in fact I loved it, but I'm just wondering…what was that for?"

"A thank you of sorts. You make me feel like I've never felt in my entire life." He grew a little sheepish as he admitted the next part. "You make it seem like time has stood still and its just me and you. You make my heart pound and every time you smile, or even look at me, I get butterflies in my stomach, tingles throughout my whole body, and I even get weak in the knees."

She turned her head to look at him her brown eyes wide. "I do that?"

He smiled and he felt his heart pick up speed. "You do." He took her hand and placed it over his heart. "See? You're doing it right now."

She blushed, bit her lip and turned to face forward again.

"You also have the uncanny ability to make me feel good about myself even if I'm the worst of moods. You always know the exact right things to get into my heart and set me free. You said that I make your life complete, well that goes double, no triple, for me. I've only known you for a short time but it's impossible to not see you in my life." He smiled a bit and nuzzled his nose into her hair. "I need you Mitch, you keep me sane." He felt Mitchie smile against his chest. "And I know it'll be hard to survive being away from each other while I go on tour but I know we can make it work. I'll come visit you whenever I can and if your parents agree you can fly over to see me if I'm in one specific area for a few days. And…"

She lifted her head and placed her finger over his lips. She smirked up a him. "Don't worry Shane I'm not planning on letting you go that easily. I'll be waiting for you whether you're gone for days or months."

He smiled and kissed her fingertip softly. She removed her finger from his lips and grabbed his free hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. She smiled at him once more before settling back into his chest.

He then realized that his clothes were still sticking to him and his body was soaking wet with sweat. He crinkled his nose and furrowed his brow. "I probably smell really bad." He remarked and Mitchie snorted in laughter.

But then she sat up and made a face. "You kinda do." She replied teasingly.

He cocked an eyebrow and she grinned at him. He smirked and raised his eyebrows mischievously. He climbed off the bed while Mitchie watched him curiously. He suddenly leaned over, wrapped his arms tightly around her middle and threw her over his shoulder. She shrieked and grabbed onto his back so she wouldn't fall off.

"Shane!" She cried in laughter. "Put me down!"

Shane smirked and marched over to the door. With one hand tightly secured around her, he opened the door with his other hand. He stepped outside and, with another shriek from Mitchie, placed her down. He laughed at the frazzled expression on her face, took her by the shoulders, and kissed her softly.

"Meet me by the lake in a half hour?"

She nodded, frozen to the spot.

He looked past her and saw the campers gawking at him. He realized he was probably quite the site to see. His black shirt and already tight pants (that were obviously the same clothes he was wearing at Final Jam nearly 24 hours before) stuck to him from the sweat, his hair was probably a mess and his cheeks were probably still flushed just like Mitchie's were.

He ignored them and looked back to Mitchie. "See ya then."

"See ya." Mitchie muttered and Shane headed back into his cabin. He looked around and smirked at his messy bed and the feathers in a pile in the corner of the room. He chuckled softly, grabbed a change of clothes and headed into the bathroom.

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_**A/N: So I had some drama and some fluff! But I still have two ways I could go with this story, one involves drama, one doesn't. So please take the poll on my profile and don't forget to review!! **_


	14. Chapter 14

_**A/N: So the poll result was close between 'both drama and fluff' and 'just fluff' but 'both' won by two votes. So this chapter is pure fluff but I'm going to have some drama later on! Mostly because I've had this idea and I really want to roll with it! You guys will probably hate me for it but I really want to do it so you'll just have to deal with it!**_

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"Hello beautiful girlfriend of mine." Shane announced his presence by slipping his arms around Mitchie from behind.

Mitchie smiled and turned to look sideways at him. "Hello handsome boyfriend of mine." She replied.

He chuckled and kissed her cheek softly.

"Your hair is wet." She noted.

He smirked. "Why yes it is, thank you for noticing."

She rolled her eyes and slapped his arm playfully. "I've heard from some very reliable sources that you don't come out of the bathroom until you're hair is dry and exactly the way you want it. I've also heard that that takes hours."

"I don't spend hours in the bathroom!" He objected. She raised her eyebrows and gave him a pointed look. He narrowed his eyes and huphed. "Nate and Jason are lying."

"How did you know it was Nate and Jason?"

"Who else would know I spend hours in the bathroom?" He remarked.

"Hah!" She shouted in triumph. "So you admit it!"

He opened his mouth to protest and realized that he had been caught. He closed his mouth and gave her a look. She grinned at him and he shook his head lightly. "It's all part of the rock star image." He replied defensively.

She turned in his arms and slid her arms around his neck. She smirked at him and kissed his lips softly. "Too bad you're a pop star huh?"

"Mmm." He replied and leaned in to capture her lips in another kiss. When his lips barely brushed against hers he pulled back and she looked up at him in confusion. He shook his head and laughed. "You almost had me there Mitch."

She rolled her eyes and dropped her arms to her sides. She snapped in defeat. "Darnit that would have been twice in less then two minutes."

He smirked at her and held his head up proudly.

"So why is your hair wet?" She asked for a change in subject. "Since it's not part of the 'rock star' image and all."

"Well since you so insist that I am a Pop Star I really don't have to uphold my rock star image now do I?" He cocked an eyebrow.

She shrugged lightly. "Pop Stars are even more self conscious about their hair then rock stars which is why I came to the conclusion of pop star." She poked his chest, popping the "p" in pop star.

"Well then apparently if I'm not so self conscious about my hair and I'm going out like this," He motioned to his wet hair, "then I wouldn't be a Pop Star would I?"

"I don't agree." She replied instantaneously.

"Obviously." He remarked and she stuck out her tongue at him. "Well if you _must_ know why I didn't fuss over my hair is because I knew I would just be with you and I feel I can be myself around you. And if you just like me because of what my hair looks like then we have some issues that we need to talk about…" He trailed off jokingly.

She smiled and her arms resumed their place around her neck. She played with his damp raven locks and cocked her head to the side. "I love your hair like this actually. It's more natural…not full of all those hair products."

"The only thing I don't like about it is that when it dries it kinda flips at the bottom." He shrugged making a face. "I don't know I think it looks weird."

"Well when it dries I'll let you know what I think." She told him.

"Promise to be honest?" He asked her.

She nodded and unhooked her right arm from around his neck and raised it in the air. "Honesty is the best policy."

"Good." He replied and leaned in to finish what he stopped before. Mitchie tightened her grip around Shane's neck pushing herself onto her tip toes to get closer to him.

They were interrupted by a grumbling sound. Mitchie pulled back and looked around the woodsy area for a sign where the noise would be coming from. The noise sounded again and both Mitchie and Shane looked down at its origin.

Mitchie smirked up at him. "Hungry Shane?"

"I guess so." He laughed. "Actually now that you mention it I am really hungry."

"Oh that's right you haven't eaten all day!" She grabbed his hand and gave it a tug. "Come on we're going to get you something to eat."

He followed her willingly but as they walked he slipped his hand around her waist and pulled her against his side. "Mitch it's not like I'm gonna starve to death. I'm alright."

His stomach growled as if it was protesting his words. She looked at his stomach and then to his face and cocked an eyebrow giving him a pointed look.

"Okay," He admitted. "So maybe I am a little over hungry. But its not like I haven't done this before."

She furrowed her brow in concern. "You've starved yourself?"

"Well not purposely but you know busy days touring…we don't have much time and…" He grew quiet as he looked at the ground shamefully. "And…when someone wouldn't make me something I wouldn't make it myself so…I guess yea I kinda did do it purposefully."

"You were that bad huh?" She asked quietly.

"Worse." He admitted. "At times." He slowly looked up at her. "The news would only show the light cases. No body apart from Nate, Jason, the band and my manager knew how bad I really was. And they didn't even know that much either…" He sighed quietly looking back down at the ground. "The things I thought…" He shook his head. "It was horrible. The beginning of camp when I was a jerk to you…that was me on a good day. A VERY good day. That's why I'm having a hard time wrapping around the fact that everyone has forgiven me so easily."

She stopped walking in front of him. She grabbed both of his hands and he looked up at her. "It's because you are obviously so sincere about your apology. If it were clear that you didn't mean it and at any second you go back to being the person you were then it would be harder but you do mean it. You've changed Shane, anyone can tell just by looking at you." She lifted her hand and placed it on the side of his face. "Your facial features are softer in everything you do. You don't look so angry all the time and you're constantly smiling and laughing. You're not the Shane Gray you were just a couple of weeks ago."

"I know." He sighed dejectedly. "But it doesn't mean I don't feel guilty for it."

She gave him a sympathetic smile and embraced him gently. She had given all her advice to him earlier; she didn't know what else to say to him. She hoped hugging him would be enough.

And judging by the way his arms slipped around her and he kissed the top of her head softly she guessed it was. They stayed that way until Shane's stomach growled again even louder than before.

Mitchie chuckled softly and pulled back from him with a smirk.

"It has a mind of its own." Shane grumbled placing his hand over his stomach.

She grinned and took his hand. "Come on, before it gets too angry."

She led him to the kitchen and pushed the door open. Connie looked up and smiled upon seeing them.

"Hello Mitchie, Shane." She nodded to each of them as the couple walked over to her hand in hand. "I haven't seen much of you today Shane."

"Yeah I was uh, asleep." He explained shyly.

Her smile faded and she nodded in understanding. "Brown told me that you had a rough night last night. I'm sorry."

Shane shrugged glancing down at the ground. "It's okay." He muttered not really wanting to talk about it. He had finally almost forgotten about the incident last night and now he was just reminded of it again.

Mitchie placed a comforting hand on the small of his back and rested her head against his shoulder. He lifted his head slowly and glanced at Mitchie. He smiled weakly and pressed a kiss to the side of her head.

Connie watched the exchange with a small smile. She didn't know what she was expecting that summer but she sure wasn't expecting Mitchie to get a boyfriend. And a famous one at that. Mitchie had had a few crushes over the years but nothing she was willing to pursue. Connie thought she would be prepared when her daughter finally got a boyfriend. And earlier that summer when she saw Mitchie had gotten a crush on Shane, she thought it was going to be just that, a crush that she wouldn't pursue. But when she heard that Shane had asked Mitchie to be his girlfriend, it was more of a shock then she let on. It was not only the fact that Shane was the former bad boy of the press, she had just had a conversation with Mitchie only weeks before at the kitchen table about what was wrong with him, or that he was two years older than her. It was that someone else besides her and her husband had captured Mitchie's attention…Mitchie's love. She was a teenager, he was a teenager, and their emotions were rampant. Mitchie's willingness to trust this boy she had just met had made her nervous especially with his reputation. It was wrong of her to make assumptions about Shane but she was worried about her daughter. She didn't want her heart to get broken especially when she was so young. She kept on eye on Shane whenever he was around Mitchie and watched him carefully. He, for the most part, impressed her. There was that one time that Mitchie came in crying and Caitlyn had explained to her what happened with Shane and Tess. Then Mitchie and Shane came out of the cafeteria back into the kitchen happy as clams. When Connie gave her a questioning look she answered that they had a misunderstanding but it was all cleared up.

But seeing them in that moment, she couldn't help but smile. She had never seen Mitchie so happy then in the last week or so that she's been with Shane. And Shane? He had definitely proved himself to be different than what was portrayed on the news. He handled Mitchie with great care and there was obvious affection written all over his face.

"Mom!" Connie snapped out of her thoughts and looked at the daughter.

"I'm sorry sweetie did you say something?"

A look of amusement crossed Mitchie's face and she giggled. "Yeah Mom, I was wondering if you have any food left from dinner. Shane hasn't had anything to eat all day and his stomach is getting angry."

As if on cue Shane's stomached growled again and mother and daughter gave him an amused glance. He smiled sheepishly and shrugged.

"I'm sorry guys," Connie said addressing the question, "I just threw out the last of the left over's. But I could whip something up."

"You don't have to do that Mrs. Torres." Shane said politely and his stomach growled in protest.

Connie smiled and shook her head. "No it's alright. It is my job after all. And I wouldn't let you starve either. Now is there anything in particular you want?"

Shane shook his head. "I'm good with whatever you give me." He replied.

"I have some extra hamburger meat in the freezer, is that good?"

"That's perfect."

"I'll get it." Mitchie volunteered and headed off towards the freezer.

Shane leaned against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. Connie turned around to face him. "Shane," She called and Shane looked over to his eye brows raised in question.

"I think we need to have a little talk."

A look of worry crossed his face and he swallowed. He tried to rearrange his face so it looked like he kept his composure but he knew he was only making it worse. Had he done something to upset Connie? He always thought he was on her good side.

"Don't worry." She held up her hand giving him a small smile. "It's just routine parent stuff, you're lucky it's me you're hearing this from and not my husband."

Shane relaxed but was still a little nervous about what Connie was going to ask him even though he had a pretty good idea.

"I'm not going to hurt her." He stated seriously his voice shaking slightly. He cleared his throat and continued in his normal voice. "I promise."

She smiled at him. "As much as you would like Shane, that's not a promise you can keep."

He furrowed his brow and frowned. "What do you mean by that?" Did she really think that he would hurt her?

"I don't mean anything bad by that." She quickly defended. "But no relationship is perfect. You're going to get into fights and you're going to hurt each other. There is no mistake about that."

"I would never intentionally hurt her." Shane corrected. "I wont- I couldn't."

"That's what all men say and they always wind up doing it. You're feelings now are different from what they will be later."

"I hurt her without knowing it earlier this week and it nearly killed me. I hated the feeling of upsetting her I wouldn't want to do it again."

"I'm glad to hear that Shane." She replied honestly with a smile. "I am and I know you'll do your best to try and keep her happy."

She slowly walked over to him and placed her hand on his arm. "You make her happier than I've ever seen her. And just by looking at you I know she does the same for you. A connection like that can't be avoided. I know you're a good match for her but a parent has to worry you know? And you're her first boyfriend."

"I understand completely." Shane nodded. "I would be worried too if my daughter was dating someone like me." At Connie's confused look he explained further. "With a reputation like mine."

"Yes," Connie nodded, "I have to admit that I was worried about that at first. Seeing you hanging around Mitchie for the past few weeks I've seen a significant change in you. You look like the same kid who was on the news earlier in the summer but you don't act like it."

"Well you can thank your daughter for that one." Shane replied with a small smile. "If it wasn't for her I'd still be a jerk."

Connie smiled. "I just want you to know Shane, I do approve of you and Mitchie. Even with your reputation you're a lot better than some of the guys at her school. But my husband might not be so approving."

Shane nodded once and made a face. "I saw that look he gave me the night of Final Jam. I don't think he liked me very much."

"It's not that he doesn't like you Shane." Connie explained. "He's worried. Mitchie is his baby girl and any guy who unexpectedly comes into her life is going to have him on edge. He doesn't want to see her hurt. He told me one of his fears is that Mitchie is going to come home crying one day because some stupid boy broke her heart and he won't be able to do anything about it."

"I'm not here to steal her away from him."

"I know that and so does he. He knew that he was going to have give her up eventually. She can't stay young and innocent forever. She has to grow up and have her own life. Meet someone she feels an attraction to," She motioned to him, "start dating," again motioned to him, "Fall in love." She met Shane's wide eyes and gave him a small smile. "It'll get there. I have a gut feeling that you two are going to go far."

"So do I." He admitted.

"Now I don't want to make this awkward but I just want to let you know…Mitchie has been taught from a young age to wait until marriage for certain activities."

A blushed creeped across Shane's face and he cleared this throat. "I'm not like that Mrs. Torres." He laughed nervously and held up hand where his purity ring rested on his ring finger. "I have the same beliefs, I may have had a lot of girlfriends in the past but I never…I'm still…" He trailed off and looked down at the ground blushing heavily. He hated having talks about his private life even with his family. So coming from his girlfriend's Mom? That's the epitome of awkwardness.

"I'm very glad to hear that Shane." Connie said with a smile. "I'm sorry for embarrassing you I just wanted to make my point known."

Shane nodded softly still staring at the ground intently, too embarrassed to say anything at all. At that exact moment Mitchie decided to come back.

Connie released her hand from Shane's arm and turned to face her daughter. Mitchie brought over the box of hamburger meat and was about to hand it over when she saw Shane staring at the ground; his cheeks tainted a bright pink. "Mom what did you do?" She asked her mother accusingly.

"Nothing." Connie replied innocently. "I only had a little talk with him. Mother to Boyfriend."

Mitchie looked between the two and Shane shifted his feet, still not tearing his gaze away from the floor. Her eyes widened as she stared at her mother. "You didn't!"

"I might have." Connie replied shrugging her shoulders taking the package of meat from her daughter.

"Mom!" Mitchie whined and slapped her forehead.

"I'm sorry _Mija_ but it had to be done."

She gave her a look and then looked at Shane. "I'm so sorry Shane."

He shook his head finally able to look up again. His cheeks for the most part had turned back to their regular color. "No Mitch its okay. You're mom's right it had to be done, we had to make things clear. She had to know we wouldn't do anything and I had to know that she knew that I wouldn't do anything."

Mitchie blushed and whined quietly. "We've only been dating for like two weeks."

"Surely you've heard of a one night stand." Connie stated, starting to form the meat into a patty.

"Mom!" Mitchie cried her voice shooting two octaves higher and covered her face with her hands while blushing heavily. Shane raised his eyebrows and looked awkwardly between mother and daughter.

"What? I'm just saying."

"Mom I would never do that. I'm sixteen for crying out loud."

"Girls get pregnant at thirteen." Connie pointed out.

"Mom!" Mitchie exclaimed. "Seriously stop!" She felt her cheeks grow red as a tomato. "Are you _trying_ to scare Shane away?"

"No sweetie of course not. I'm not trying to scare him away from you; I'm trying to scare him away from certain parts of you."

Mitchie's eyes widened and she shot her mother a look. "Mom." She hissed through her teeth not even daring to look at Shane.

"I assure you Mrs. Torres." Shane's smooth, calm voice said from beside her. "You will not need to scare me away. I have my beliefs, made my promises and I do not intend to break them. I may be a teenage boy but I'm not a pig."

Mitchie let out a breath and covered her face with her hands again. She just wanted to evaporate from the area. This was the last thing in the world she wanted to discuss while her mother and Shane were in the same room together.

"I know that Shane." Connie said. "I was just making a point. I know neither you nor Mitchie would do anything to betray your promises. And I'm sorry again for embarrassing you."

"That's alright, no harm done." Shane responded flashing his million dollar smile.

'Speak for yourself' Mitchie thought to herself.

"Why don't you kids go into the cafeteria, I'll bring your burger in when it's done." Connie suggested.

Before Shane could protest Mitchie nodded, grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the cafeteria. Once she was out of sight and earshot of Connie, Mitchie turned to Shane and gave him an apologetic look. "I am SO sorry about that!" Her cheeks were still a bright red. She scoffed and shook her head. "God I can't believe she did that."

Shane chuckled and walked forward to pull her into an embrace. She hesitantly wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. He rubbed her back comfortingly and kissed the top of her head.

"It's no big deal honestly Mitch."

She shook her head and mumbled into his shirt, "Yes it is."

"Well it was awkward." Shane admitted and Mitchie whimpered quietly. He smiled softly and tightened his grip around her. "But it wasn't so bad."

"Don't lie to me Shane." She muttered closing her eyes. "That was the most embarrassing experience in my life."

"Even more so then the white shirt incident the other day?"

She would have blushed further at the memory but her blood vessels in her face would have busted. She thought about it for a moment and then nodded. "Most definitely." She sighed. "My mom knows me well enough to know that I would never do that."

"Yes she does but she doesn't know me." Shane pointed out.

"But she should trust that if you were to ever try anything that I would stop you."

"But what if – and I'm not saying that that time will be any time soon- there comes a time when you don't _want_ to?" He asked quietly.

She froze up and looked up at him with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry." He said quickly. "I shouldn't have asked that."

She continued to stare at him her eyes wide.

"I promise I'm not thinking about that at all. Like I told your mom I'm fully intent on keeping my promise and I'm not a pig. And like you said we've only been dating for two weeks." He tried to reassure her. "Please just forget I said anything."

Mitchie nodded quietly and rested her head back on his chest.

They stayed that way until Connie came in with Shane's hamburger. Mitchie's face had finally returned to its normal color but when her mother came in, they turned a light pink again. And the smirk on Connie's face didn't make it any better.

"Here you are Shane." Connie said placing the plate down on the table near them.

"Thank you Mrs. Torres I really appreciate it." He released Mitchie and took a seat at the table. Once the smell of the burger hit him, he realized how hungry he actually was. Mitchie and Connie watched with wide eyes as Shane devoured the burger in less than a minute.

After he finished the last bite he looked up and saw the two staring at him. He smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "I was hungrier than I thought."

Connie laughed. "As I thought, that's why I made a second one." She headed back into the kitchen and returned moments later with another plate and a bottle of water. She set the plate down in front of him and he ate the second burger not as fast as the first one but still pretty quickly. After he was finished with that he downed the bottle of water.

Connie stared at him with wide eyes and shook her head. "I am so glad I didn't have any boys." She muttered to herself.

Mitchie giggled and Shane grinned.

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_**A/N: A crappy ending to the chapter but whatever. I hope you liked that! Review please! **_


	15. Chapter 15

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_**A/N: So the next drama sets in with this chapter! And you all are gonna hate me for it! Now I probably all got your curiosity running, so read and find out!! And special thanks to **_**Mitchie-Veronica _ my new beta reader! _**

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Mitchie slapped her alarm off and sat up in her bed tiredly. She rubbed her eyes and then looked around. The cabin was empty which meant her mother was already up and in the kitchen. She looked at the clock and saw that it was seven o'clock which meant breakfast started in a half an hour.

She got out of her bed and walked over to the window. She pulled open the shades and looked outside. It wasn't that bright due to the sun being behind some clouds that covered every inch of the normally blue sky. The setting fitted the mood perfectly. It was the last day of camp. Everyone had to be out of camp by twelve noon. She would be going back to her life as a nobody. She wouldn't have her friends to talk to and hang out with, except Sierra of course. And the worst of all, she wouldn't be able to see Shane. Being with him for the past couple of weeks, made her almost forgot that he was a famous pop star. His schedule was packed, he almost had no free time. And the free time he did have, well he would usually be in a different state or possibly even a different country. There was no way he could spend it with her.

She sighed quietly, trying to push the dreaded thoughts into the back of her mind. She quickly took a shower and got ready for the day and then headed down to the cafeteria.

She walked into the cafeteria and saw that the normally spirited bunch at Camp Rock was now gloomy and quiet. No one wanted to say goodbye or to leave. Mitchie grabbed a tray and a plate with some eggs and bacon and headed over to her normal table. Everyone was already there, apart from the Connect 3 boys. Even Peggy and Ella had joined them. Mitchie took a seat next to Caitlyn and greeted everyone with a soft hello.

They chorused back a hello.

"So this is the end huh?" Caitlyn asked.

"For now." Mitchie piped in, trying to be the optimist. "There's always next year."

"Yeah…" Lola sighed, resting her head in the palm of her hand. "Next year…"

"A whole year." Barron added.

Mitchie frowned, all traces of her optimism lost and she glanced down at the table. A year was a very long time. The whole table grew silent and Mitchie poked at her eggs, suddenly not feeling too hungry.

She suddenly felt a pair of familiar arms wrap around her from behind and a kiss being placed to the top of her head. She felt her heart flutter but it didn't bring the usual amount of joy, knowing she would have to leave him in just a few hours.

Nate and Jason took a seat around the table, Nate next to Caitlyn and Jason next to Nate. Shane took a seat beside Mitchie and she turned to him giving him a small, weak smile.

"Already sulking Mitchie?"

She nodded quietly and rested her head on his shoulder. "I don't wanna leave."

"I know." He muttered.

"No one wants to leave." Peggy murmured bitterly.

"Hey," Jason spoke up; bring everyone's attention to him, "We still have a few hours left guys! Let's not spend them being sad!" His face lit up. "I know what we can do! We can make a bird house."

Nate and Shane rolled their eyes, Mitchie and Caitlyn giggled and the rest of the table stared at him with confused looks.

"Besides the birdhouse, Jason has a point." Shane voiced. "If we don't have some fun now then it'll just be a waste."

"So what did you have in mind?" Caitlyn asked.

Shane frowned and his shoulders slumped. "I have no idea."

Caitlyn rolled her eyes and rested her arms on the table.

"We could go swimming." Mitchie suggested.

At that suggestion everyone at the table perked up.

"That's a great idea!" Peggy exclaimed and Ella nodded in agreement.

"Yeah!" Sander cried and slapped hands with Barron and they both grinned.

"Swimming'd be fun." Lola agreed.

Barron and Sander jumped up from their seats, already done with their breakfast. "Meet you guys at the lake!" They both ran out of the cafeteria laughing excited as two little school boys with a new toy. Lola rolled her eyes at them and then got up to follow them, saying she would see the rest of them later.

The rest of the table laughed and then burst into a conversation. Mitchie participated in the conversation but somewhere in the middle, she got distracted.

Tess was sitting by herself at her table. She had a lot on her breakfast plate but she wasn't eating it. She looked so depressed and alone, much like she had that night of Final Jam. Some part of her thought that Tess deserved it for all she had done to her the whole summer. But the good natured part of Mitchie felt bad for her. Something happened to Tess that night that seemed to really change her ways. She had apologized to her and Caitlyn, the day before she hadn't bothered them at all and acted the same way she was now, all down and lonely. She looked truly remorseful about what she did. And after all, Shane had what an appeared as an unchangeable attitude, why couldn't Tess be the same way?

"-lo, earth the Mitchie!"

Mitchie snapped out of her thoughts and saw Caitlyn moving her hand in front of her face. She looked around and saw everyone smirking at her and blushed softly. "Sorry guys."

"Where were you?"

"I was just thinking…" She mumbled and leaned in closer. "What would you guys say if I invited Tess?"

Everyone instantly looked at her like she was crazy. She sighed, giving them an exasperated look. "Come on guys! Look at her she looks so lonely." Everyone took a quick glance at Tess and saw that she was still playing with her food.

"It could be one of scams." Peggy pointed out.

Mitchie bit her lip. "It could be." She shrugged. "But its only a few hours, we'll never know. Come on…please! Caitlyn you saw, she apologized to us and even told Brown that we didn't take her bracelet."

Caitlyn shrugged lightly and looked down at the table.

"I don't know Mitch…after all she's done to you guys…"

Mitchie turned to Shane and gave him a look. "You should be the one to talk Shane."

A look of shock and hurt spread across his face. Mitchie knew exactly what would make him crumble. She knew that that subject was a chink in his armor. She could also tell that he couldn't believe she used that against him. He closed his eyes briefly and then looked down in shame.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, instantly feeling guilty for bringing up the one thing he was trying to forget. She kissed his cheek softly and rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm just trying to say that people gave you a chance after all you've done, why can't we do the same for Tess?"

"Because we know Tess better then we knew Shane." Peggy answered. "Tess has been this way since our first summer here and she hasn't changed. Shane we haven't known at all so it was easier to accept his change."

"So you're just gonna give up? What ever happened to second chances?"

Everyone looked at each other and then they all sighed in defeat. Mitchie smiled gratefully. "Thanks guys!"

They all muttered incoherently and then said they would meet Mitchie at the lake and rose from the table. Shane pecked Mitchie's cheek but she could sense something was off. She knew he was still upset with what she said to him just before. They all left the cafeteria and Mitchie looked in Tess' direction. She took a breath and walked over to her and sat down across from her.

Tess looked up and at Mitchie and cast a questioning look at her. Mitchie smiled at her warmly. "Hey."

"Hey…"

"So I was wondering, we're all going to the lake to swim, you want to come?"

Tess's eyes widened. "You want me to come?"

"Yeah." Mitchie replied happily with a smile.

"Really?"

"Why not?"

"Because I was kinda mean to you guys the whole summer." Tess replied somewhat sheepishly.

"Everyone makes mistakes Tess." Mitchie responded. "Come it'll be fun."

A small smile spread across Tess' face. "If you're sure."

"I'm positive." Mitchie grinned. "Meet you down there in a few." She rose from her seat and started off.

"Hey Mitchie!" Tess called out to her and Mitchie turned around.

"Thank you."

Mitchie smiled and nodded. "You're welcome." She turned back around and headed towards her cabin.

* * *

Mitchie walked down to the lake in her purple one-piece bathing suit. It was against Camp Rules for girls to wear a two piece bathing suit. She saw that mostly everybody had already gotten in the water apart from Shane and Caitlyn who were sitting on the ground near the shore.

"Hey guys." She greeted, sitting down next to Shane.

"Hey Mitchie." Caitlyn greeted back and Shane nodded his head, acknowledging her presence. Mitchie frowned and looked down at the ground.

"Hey so Mitchie's here, let's get this party started!" Caitlyn rose to her feet.

"I'll be in in a minute." Mitchie told her and Caitlyn nodded, sensing the rift between the couple and then took a running start into the water, splashing everyone in her path.

Mitchie looked over at Shane saw that he was blatantly keeping his eyes away from her.

"I'm sorry Shane."

"For what?" He muttered.

"For…saying those things in the cafeteria. It was wrong of me and I'm sorry."

Shane was silent for a few moments and then he finally turned to look at her. "I expected that from anyone but you Mitch. You know how I feel about that, you know how horribly guilty I am for that."

"I know." She nodded. "I shouldn't have said it like that. I was just trying to say that everyone deserves a second chance and that even the worst of people can change."

He scoffed. "Oh thanks."

She placed her hand on his arm gently. "You only know how bad you were Shane. Now you're hoping that everyone can forgive you for all you've done. What if Tess wants that too?"

"I never thought of it that way…" He mumbled.

"Everyone is human and mistakes, it's just a part of life. And we need to give out second chances or the world would be a very unfriendly place."

Shane stared out at the water. For a while the only sound was the laughter and splashes coming from their friends in the water. Then finally Shane turned to Mitchie and smiled slowly, "Did I ever tell you how amazing you are?"

Mitchie stared at him wide eyed for a second and then she blushed softly. "Ummm…I don't know…" she muttered.

"Well you are." He leaned forward and kissed her softly. She responded to the kiss and things started to heat up when they abruptly cooled off by a wave of water. They parted and whipped their heads to the water and saw Caitlyn, Nate, Peggy and Barron grinning at them.

"Come on love birds, get in the water!" Caitlyn called.

Shane gave her a look and rose to his feet. He took off his shirt, tossing it to the ground. "You're going down Gellar!"

Caitlyn grinned and beckoned him into the water. "I dare you to try Gray!"

Shane narrowed his eyes. He ran over to the dock and did a cannonball into the water, aiming for Caitlyn's area. Caitlyn screeched and tried to block herself from the splash. When Shane started swimming toward her, Caitlyn swam away and hid behind Nate. "Mitchie! Save me from the pretty Pop Star."

Shane's jaw dropped. "Oh now you're REALLY going to get it Gellar!"

Caitlyn squealed and started splashing him from behind Nate. And then Nate joined in to protect his girlfriend.

Mitchie laughed as she watched the splash battle going on in the water.

"Hey." Mitchie turned around and saw Tess standing there shyly. Mitchie smiled at her. "Hey."

Tess slowly walked over and stood next to Mitchie. Slowly, but surely she lowered herself onto the ground to sit next to her. She wrapped her arms around her legs and stared out at everyone in the water. "Thanks again for inviting me."

"Everyone deserves a second chance." Mitchie replied. Tess looked at her and smiled softly.

Shane crawled out of the water and flipped the wet hair out of his face. He quickly shot a glance at Tess and she shrunk back, looking down at the ground shyly. He looked back at Mitchie and she gave him a pleading look. He nodded, his face softening. He reached out and grabbed both of their arms. Tess looked up at him in shock and he gave her a small smile. "Come on, what are you two scared of a little water?"

He pulled them to their feet and dragged them into the water. Once everyone saw that Tess was in the water, they all settled down and stared at her.

"Hey guys." Tess waved shyly.

"Hey." They all mumbled back and Tess looked around awkwardly.

Suddenly, breaking the awkward silence, Barron jumped off the dock sending a big splash in Tess' direction.

Tess tensed up, her eyes closed and her jaw dropped. Mitchie worried for a moment that she was going to flip out on Barron. And then surprisingly them all, Tess started to laugh.

Caitlyn, Peggy, Ella and Lola all looked at each other in surprise. Mitchie grinned and Shane wrapped his arm around her, kissing the side of her head softly. Nate smiled softly and Jason grinned.

Mitchie started to laugh with her and soon everyone caught the laughter bug. Everyone warmed up to Tess after that and they spent hours in the water.

After they were all watered out they headed back to their own cabins to get back into dry clothes. By that time, half of the camp had already left. And not too long after, the bus that came for Lola, Barron, Sander and a bunch of others arrived. They all said goodbye to their friends and the bus left.

It was around eleven when Peggy's parents and Ella's parents arrived. Mitchie and Caitlyn hugged them both a goodbye and they all exchanged numbers. Then Shane told Peggy he would call her about when they would be recording their duet. And then Tess even came over and said goodbye. Peggy and Ella were still a little hesitant around her but they hugged her goodbye and told her they would see her next year.

About a half an hour later, Caitlyn's parents arrived. Mitchie gave her new good friend and big, long goodbye and they both promised to call/text/email each other everyday. Shane and Jason hugged her a goodbye and then Nate took his turn and he promised that he would call her whenever he could and come and visit. They shared a tearful goodbye, sealed with a kiss, and Caitlyn went off to her car.

Tess stopped her and apologized again for everything she's done and the two shook hands, knowing it would be way to awkward for both of them to hug. Caitlyn waved at all of them and then took off.

Not five minutes after Caitlyn left, the limo for Tess pulled up. She hugged Mitchie goodbye and said a shy goodbye to Shane and the rest of Connect 3.

Then it was just Mitchie and the Connect 3 boys. For the remaining time they just sat around, Mitchie in Shane's arms, talking. Soon, a limo pulled up for Connect 3. But it was only for Nate and Jason; Shane had offered to stay at Camp a little longer to help Brown close up until next year. Mitchie left Shane's arms and gave each of the boys a big hug goodbye.

"It was such a pleasure to meet you guys." She told them when they were in a group hug.

"Same goes for us Mitchie." Nate replied with a small smile and Jason nodded in agreement. "We're extremely thankful that you brought our friend back." Nate looked in Shane's direction and Shane rolled his eyes but then smirked at them.

"It was my pleasure." Mitchie giggled.

Jason thanked Mitchie for making him his birdhouse, to which both Nate and Shane rolled their e yes. Then Nate and Jason told Shane they would see him later and they both got into the limo and drove away.

When it was nearing noon, Connie pulled up the catering van.

"Mitchie, we'll be leaving in a few sweetie." Connie told her.

"Okay." She muttered sadly. Connie gave her a sad smile and went to go collect her pay check from Brown.

Mitchie turned in Shane's arms and looked up at his face. He gave her a half smile and leaned down to kiss her lips softly. She slipped her arms around his neck and responded to the kiss.

"It won't be so bad, you'll see." Shane told her once they parted.

She pouted lightly. "But we won't be together."

He shook his head softly and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "That's where you're wrong Mitch, we'll always be together." He took her hand in his and entwined their fingers together. "Maybe not physically but everywhere we go, we'll be with each other. In each other's thoughts, in our dreams, in our hearts."

She laughed softly and grinned. "You are extremely corny, you know that?"

He raised his eyebrows. "You see what you do to me? This is all your fault."

"_My _fault?!"

"You have me acting like a mush ball, if I didn't feel so strongly for you, I wouldn't say corny things."

She smiled at him. "Well maybe I like when you say corny things. It's better than jerky things."

He shrugged lightly, making a face. She scoffed and stared at him in shock. He laughed at her expression and kissed her quickly. "I'm kidding." He responded with a smirk. "Corny is a hundred times better than jerky."

She shook her head and rested her forehead against his. "A thousand."

"A million." He corrected.

"A billion."

"A _trillion." _

She lifted her head to give him a look. "Now you're just doing that to out do my number."

"Possibly." He shrugged with a smirk.

She chuckled lightly and rolled her eyes. Her smile faded when she realized that in just a few minutes she would be leaving him and they wouldn't be able to have this playful banter. She rested her head in the crook of his neck and his arms tightened around her. "I'm gonna miss you so much Shane."

"Me too Mitchie."

"You're gonna miss yourself?" She asked teasingly.

"No, silly girl." He poked her sides and she squeaked. "I'm gonna miss you."

"Shane…"

"Hm?"

"You won't forget about me will you?"

He looked down at her like she was crazy. "Mitchie, how could even ask that."

She shrugged lightly. "You'll be all over the country, meet plenty of girls…"

"Mitchie Torres I never want to hear those words come out of your mouth again." He scolded. "You're the only girl that I want."

"Promise?"

"With all my heart and my soul."

She smiled and nuzzled her head into his chest.

"And the same goes for you Mitch." He said. "No leaving me."

"Never." She whispered. "All the boys around where I live are stupid anyway. No one could ever come close to you."

"Glad to hear it." He tightened his grip around her and they just held each other until Connie came back.

"Sorry to break up you up but we've got to go." Connie told her regretfully.

Mitchie nodded and rose from Shane's lap. Shane took her hand and walked her over to the catering van. Connie had taken her seat in the driver's seat and Shane opened the passenger door for Mitchie and helped her in. He stood in the open door and stared up at her. She smiled sadly down at him and leaned down to give him a soft, quick kiss on the lips. Shane wanted to take her into his arms and kiss the life out of her but he refrained knowing her mother was right there.

He shut the door and Mitchie rolled down the window. Connie started the van and Mitchie reached her hand out the window and grabbed onto Shane's. Shane gave her hand a squeeze. "Bye Mitch." He whispered.

"Bye Shane." She whispered back and let go of his hand as the van pulled away. She looked out of the window and watched him until his form disappeared.

* * *

"We're home!" Connie called into the house once they stepped inside. Mitchie followed behind her mother, carrying her bags over her shoulder.

"Welcome back!" Steve came out of the living room with a smile and hugged both his wife and daughter. "Mitchie there's a surprise waiting for you in the living room." Steve told her with a smile.

"A surprise? Really?" She dropped her bags and ran towards the living room. A bright smile spread across her face. "Sierra!"

"Mitchie!"

The two friends rushed towards each other and hugged each other. "I missed you!" Sierra exclaimed.

"I missed you too, how was summer without me?"

Sierra rolled her eyes and sighed. "Terribly boring, I had nothing to do. I went camping for like two weeks but that was the highlight of my summer."

"Aw I'm sorry."

"Its okay, but you need to tell me about your summer!"

Mitchie smiled and bit her lip softly. "Let's go up to my room and talk there."

Sierra nodded and both girls headed up to her room.

"So how was Camp?" Sierra asked, once they were settled on Mitchie's bed.

"It was…great." Mitchie replied with a smile.

"Tell me about it!"

"What do you want to know?"

"Everything!" She suddenly gasped. "I heard Shane Gray was there, did you meet him?"

A bright grin spread across Mitchie's face at the mention of his name. "You could say that."

Sierra's eyebrows rose. "Tell details! NOW!"

Mitchie giggled and was about to explain everything when her cell phone went off. "Excuse me one sec." She told Sierra and grabbed her cell. She furrowed her brow in confusion when she saw that it was a number she didn't recognize. She flipped open her phone and pressed it to her ear answering slowly, "Hello?"

"_Mitchie?" _Nate's familiar voice rang in her ear, but there was something off in his voice. He sounded distressed and panicked.

"Nate?" She questioned, just to make sure it was him.

"_Oh Mitchie." _Nate breathed a sigh of relief. _"Thank God I got through to you." _

Suddenly Mitchie felt dread course through her veins. She saw Sierra get a confused and concerned look on her face which alerted Mitchie that her face must have changed as well.

"What happened?" She breathed.

"_I really hate to be the one to tell you this…" _

"Nate what happened!" She squeaked.

There was a brief pause on the other line and then finally, Nate spoke. _"Shane's in the hospital." _

Mitchie gasped and immediately tears sprung to her eyes. "Wh…what? Nate…what happened?" She whispered, her lip quivering. "Was there an accident?"

"_If you mean a car accident, no. It wasn't any sort of accident actually." _He let out a breath. _"No one knows what happened." _

"What do you mean no one knows what happened?"

"_After everyone left, Brown had something to take care of off of camp property but Shane was still there. Brown left Shane alone, knowing he would only be gone for an hour or so." _He paused a second and Mitchie heard him take a breath. _"Brown came back and found Shane…" _His voice broke and he sucked in a breath.

A few tears had escaped Mitchie's eyes and her heart was pounding in her chest. "Found him...?"

"_I-I can't…" _

Mitchie didn't realize she had started to shake until she felt Sierra's hand being placed on her leg comfortingly. She looked at her best friend through blurred vision but still could see the concern written on her face.

She pictured Shane's smiling face in her mind at that moment. She could feel his strong arms around her, his warm, soft lips pressed against hers. She could smell the scent of his cologne mixed with his own unique scent that she loved. She could hear his voice whispering to her. But it only kept saying one thing…

_Bye Mitch_…..

She whimpered softly. "Nate…is he ok?"

She heard Nate sigh quietly and she asked again, "Nate is he ok?"

"_Mitchie…he-he..." _

"Tell me." She pleaded desperately.

"_He was shot."_

* * *

_**A/N: Incase you were wondering, Yes, I AM that evil! Muahahahah!**_


	16. Chapter 16

_**A/N: Wow so I got some threatening messages. I'm sorry for the cliffhanger guys I really am! But it had to be done! But I updated quickly just for you guys!! I know I tortured you so I took to writing! I hope this chapter makes you feel A LITTLE better…although it may make you feel worse…just saying… But don't let that keep you from reading!**_

* * *

Mitchie rested her head on mother's shoulder and tried to fight back tears for the zillionth time in the past few hours. When Nate had told her what happened to Shane, she burst into tears right on the spot. Sierra was so alarmed she called Connie up and Connie came rushing up with Steve right behind her. Mitchie was so upset she couldn't even speak so Connie took the phone from her and found out what happened from Nate. At hearing Mitchie's unstopping sobs, Nate had gotten chocked up and excused himself after explaining everything.

Sierra was still incredibly confused as to what was happening. After Mitchie had calmed down a little bit, Connie took Sierra home, giving her the gist of things. When Connie got home she found Mitchie curled up on her bed, not crying openly but tears flowed freely down her cheeks. Connie tried to comfort her the best she could, she had to fight back tears herself. Not only at seeing her daughter so upset but she had grown a soft spot for her daughter's boyfriend. Shane was a nice guy, despite his past, and it was hardly fair that he was shot. A few minutes after that, Nate called back, having composed himself somewhat and told them that he had booked them a flight over, knowing that's what Mitchie would want. When Connie got off the phone and explained to Mitchie what he told her, Mitchie shot up and started to beg her mother to go. However, before Mitchie could finish her phrase, Connie already agreed and told Mitchie to get herself ready. Mitchie wasted no time and insisted she was ready in that second, not seeming to care that she looked like a mess.

"You should at least splash your face with water sweetie." Connie told her and Mitchie did as she was told. She also ran a brush through her hair and then raced down the stairs. Steve drove them both to the airport where they picked up the tickets that Nate left for them and soon boarded the plane.

The flight was only a few hours long but it was the longest few hours of Mitchie's life. She was in agony over the thought of what happened to Shane. Her Shane, whose arms she was safe and warm in just a couple of hours ago. How could everything go so downhill in just a couple of hours?

She thought about how this could have happened. Shane was alone at camp so no one knew exactly what happened except for Shane and whoever his attacker was. His attacker ran off and Shane was probably out cold. She thought about who could have had a grudge against Shane enough to shoot him. Only one person came to her mind.

Shane's father almost beat him four years ago, after Shane yelled at him a few nights earlier and after Brown banned him from the Camp, why wouldn't he have a reason to go after Shane? Personally, she didn't think that was a good reason to shoot anyone at all but, she saw the look in his father's eyes. That man was crazy and malicious. He could have gotten easily drunk and waited until Shane was alone to get him.

A few tears escaped her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She let out a soft whimper and Connie tightened her grip around her daughter. She softly kissed the top of her head, wishing she could tell her that everything would be alright. But there's only certain times someone can say that and this time was not one of them. She didn't know anything about Shane's condition and giving Mitchie false hope would only make it worse. So all she could do was comfort her and hope for the best.

The plane landed and right outside their terminal was a man holding a sign with their last name on it. The man led them outside to where a limo sat waiting for them. They climbed into the limo and were met with the solemn faces of Nate and Jason.

Nate had a heavy set frown on his face and his eyes were just the tiny bit red and puffy. With Jason, however, it was more obvious to tell that he had been crying. He slouched in the corner of the limo, not even smiling as Mitchie slid in. He had a slight pout to his lips and fading but still noticeable tear stains down his cheeks.

At the sight of her new friends' state and at the obvious lack of the third member of Connect 3, Mitchie broke down again, burying her face in her hands.

"Oh Mitchie…" Nate whispered and slipped over to her side of the limo. He gently took her into his arms and she willingly accepted his comfort. She cried into his chest the whole way to the hospital while Connie watched them sadly and Jason stared out of the window, trying not to cry again.

When they arrived at the hospital, Nate helped Mitchie out of the limo and kept one arm around her waist as they walked through one of the back entrances, Connie and Jason following quietly behind.

She should have expected this, but when they got to Shane's floor, she was surprised to see the waiting room was filled with teenage girls all crying just as much as she was. "They're all here for Shane?" Mitchie whispered to Nate.

He nodded. "Word travels fast…" He whispered back. "But we've got security." He looked at two guards standing at every entrance to every hallway that was accessible from the waiting room.

One nodded to him as he walked past and Nate nodded back. Halfway through the hallway Nate stopped and turned to Mitchie. "His room is right around the corner, room 518, I have to take care of some things but I'll be back soon."

Mitchie nodded softly. "Thanks Nate." She whispered, her voice cracking with emotion. She reached over and hugged him gently. "For everything."

He nodded. "I know Shane would want you here."

Mitchie pulled back from him a moment later, Nate gave her a very weak smile and then retreated the way he came. Mitchie let out a shaky breath and continued down the hallways until she reached room 518.

The door was closed and outside the room, curled up in a chair, was a girl who looked a few years younger than Mitchie. Mitchie couldn't really see her face because it was partially hidden but from what she could see, she had long black hair and looked obviously shaken up.

Mitchie took a step forward and her shoe squeaked across the floor. The girls head shot up and Mitchie's eyes widened in alarm. The girl's red puffy eyes narrowed and she sat up, glaring at Mitchie. "I don't know how you got past security but you're not supposed to be here."

Mitchie opened her mouth to speak but no words would come out.

"No fans allowed." The girl stressed.

Mitchie wanted to tell her that she wasn't a fan but couldn't find her voice at that moment. Instead she just stood still, staring at the girl, her eyes filling with tears.

The girl rolled her eyes and scoffed. "I don't care how much you 'love him'" She said in a mocking voice. "You're not supposed to be here so leave!"

Mitchie's lip quivered and she looked down. All her confidence was shot to hell now that her inspiration was lying vulnerable in a hospital room. "I...I…"

"God, what part don't you get about leaving!" The girl hissed and Mitchie winced. Mitchie let a few tears roll down her cheeks and she admitted defeated and started to shuffle away, feeling the girl's cold stare on her back.

However, all her hopes lifted when she heard a familiar voice. "Mitchie! Love, so glad you could make it!" She lifted her head and saw Brown turning down the hallway and coming at her. Brown took her into his arms and hugged her tightly. Mitchie wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest, crying silently. After a couple of moments, Brown pulled back slightly and tilted Mitchie's head up. She wiped her tears away with the pads of his thumbs. "There, there, don't cry love." Mitchie could tell he was trying to be supportive but he didn't have the normal spark in his eyes or his face that he normally held. He was suffering too.

After all he was the one who left Shane alone and then came back and found him in such a horrible state. He was probably feeling guilty and somewhat traumatized, anyone would be.

Connie appeared from around the corner with Jason. Connie looked a little surprised to see Brown there but she soon greeted him. "Brown, I would say how wonderful it is to see you again but under the circumstances…"

He gave her a half smile and raised his hand. "Understandable Connie." He wrapped his arm around her in a half hug.

"Where did you two go?" Mitchie asked quietly.

Connie suddenly grew sheepish and Jason finally cracked a small smile. "Your mom had to use the bathroom; I showed her where it was."

"Oh." Mitchie probably would have laughed if it wasn't for the tense situation at hand. She didn't think she could utter a single laugh.

"Uncle Brown…" Everyone turned and looked at the girl who spoke up. It was the same dark haired girl that gave Mitchie an attitude just before. "You know her?" Her voice was quiet and meek, not like what it had been earlier.

Brown looked around between Connie and Mitchie trying to decipher which one she meant and then settled for Mitchie. He nodded and wrapped one arm around her shoulder. "Of course I know her. She spent the last few weeks at my Camp. She and Shane are very close."

"How close?" The girl asked slowly.

"He's uh- my boyfriend." Mitchie answered shyly. The girl's eyes narrowed again and she crossed her arms, turning her cold gaze to the floor.

"Oh, where are my manners?" Brown asked. "Mitchie, this is Caley, Shane's sister."

Well that definitely explained the state she was in. Caley looked up at Mitchie out of the corner of her eyes and glared. Mitchie glanced down at the ground, hiding her face in Brown's side.

Brown opened his mouth to say something when the door to the room creaked open. Immediately the hallway was completely silent, Mitchie could hear her heart pounding rapidly in her chest.

A middle aged doctor walked out and searched all the face in the room until he reached Brown's. His face was blank, no emotion whatsoever. That didn't help anyone's nerves any.

"Mr. Cessario, please come inside."

Brown squeezed Mitchie once and then let her go walking towards the door. He ruffled Caley's hair as he passed her and then walked into the room with the doctor, shutting the door behind them.

Everyone took a seat around the room and just waited for any news whatsoever. It seemed like hours had passed that they were all sitting quietly in that hallway. But in reality it was only about ten or fifteen minutes.

Connie had fallen asleep, the jet lag combined with her busy day, she was exhausted. Jason seemed to follow her lead and he was asleep only a few minutes after her. Mitchie was way too worried to even think about sleeping. She wanted to be awake when she heard Shane's diagnosis. Whether she was ever going to see his beautiful brown eyes, his gorgeous smile, feel his arms around her, hear his sweet, melodic voice ever again. She curled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She rested her head against her knees and let tears fall again.

Finally Nate came back and without a word took a seat next to Mitchie. Mitchie looked up at him and so did Caley. Nate gave Mitchie a sympathetic look when he saw her tears and rubbed her back comfortingly. She whimpered quietly and buried her face in her knees again but not before catching the odd looks from Caley.

A half an hour passed and Mitchie was done with her crying for the moment. She had calmed down and was now just looking around the bright hallways.

She jumped when she felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. She took the phone out of her pocket and looked down at it, seeing it was from Caitlyn. She slowly stood up and Nate looked up at her curiously.

"I have a phone call, be right back." She told him quietly and he nodded.

She walked out of the hallway and into the main lobby, where she was surprise to see even more girls had gathered. She picked up her phone and pressed it to her, sucking in a deep breathe.

"Hello?"

"Oh my God Mitchie did you hear about Shane?!" Her friend's voice greeted her.

Mitchie closed her eyes tightly and let out a slow breath. "Yea…" She whispered. "I'm at the hospital now. How did you find out?"

"It's all over the internet!" Caitlyn replied. "'Shane Gray rushed to the hospital' Mitchie, what happened?"

"No one really knows Cait…he was alone at Camp when…" her voice broke and she brought her hand to her mouth, trying to muffle the sob she felt coming. She couldn't bring herself to say what had happened to Shane. "He was attacked…or so I assume." She whispered.

"How bad is he?" Caitlyn asked softly.

"I don't know." She muttered. "I haven't been able to see him." She sank down to the ground and felt fresh tears rush to her eyes. "I don't know what to do Cait." She whimpered. "He's…so strong and I…I hate to think of him so vulnerable…" she shook her head and let out a quiet sob. "I can't lose him Caitlyn, I can't lose him."

"You're not going to lose him Mitchie." Caitlyn's voice was stern but also shaky, obviously upset by the news. "Shane'll make it through this."

"You don't understand Caitlyn…" She lowered her voice to a whisper, thinking that it would take away the severity of the words. "He was…shot."

Caitlyn gasped. "Shot? Like…like with a gun?"

Mitchie let out another whimper and many, if not all, occupants of the room now had their attention on her. They all saw her with Nate go towards his room, so they knew she was there for Shane and she was their only in to know what was going with the Pop Star. One over zealous fan burst into tears at seeing Mitchie in tears, knowing what that meant about her idol.

"Where?" Caitlyn whispered.

"I have no idea." Mitchie replied, sniffling and running a hand through her hair. "I'm-I'm just hoping that it wasn't in a…fatal place."

"Oh My God…" Caitlyn muttered. "I can't believe this is happening."

"Me neither."

There was "Well listen, call me as soon as you get any details okay?"

"Okay."

"Bye Mitchie."

"Talk to you later." She whispered and hung up the phone. She wiped her eyes and slowly stood to her feet. She ignored the stares from everyone and headed back towards the hallway. The guards stopped her at first, and then one recognized her and let her pass. She thanked him quietly and headed back to Shane's room.

When she got back she saw that no one had moved and she took her seat next to Nate.

"Who was it?" Nate asked her after a few moments of silence.

"Caitlyn." She replied. "Apparently this is all over the internet."

"Great." He muttered and slouched in his chair. "Just what we need…the press to get involved."

Mitchie frowned. "His fans are showing up…there's more of them in the waiting room."

"I know." He nodded. "The main lobby downstairs is filled with fans trying to get upstairs."

"Security will take care of them right?"

"Right." Nate affirmed. "Unless they have hard proof that one of their family members is checked into this hospital, they're not letting them out of the lobby."

"Good." She whispered and all went silent again.

Yet another ten minutes passed. Connie and Jason were still sound asleep and the hallway still remained deathly quiet.

Mitchie caught Caley staring at her from across the way as if she was trying to figure something out. Mitchie shifted awkwardly under her intense gaze.

"You don't look like a slut." Caley said bluntly.

Mitchie's eyes widened and Nate chocked on air for a second.

"W-what?"

"For one of Shane's girlfriends, you don't look like a slut." Caley repeated.

Mitchie furrowed her brow. Sure she knew of Shane's past history with girlfriends, who didn't? but she didn't like to talk about it. She didn't like really being called one of them either. But she could understand where Caley was coming from.

"Caley." Nate hissed quietly.

"No Nate it's alright." Mitchie placed her hand on Nate's tense knee. "Caley, your brother has changed, he's not who he used to be."

Caley frowned and crossed her arms. Mitchie could tell she didn't quite believe her.

"I wish I could offer up some proof but you're just going to have to take my word for it. And I'm not a…a slut. Or anything close to what his past girlfriends were. I'm just a normal girl, from a ho-hum little town in Jersey. I don't chase guys, guys don't chase me. Until this summer I had one friend. I was an out cast, a loser, so to speak."

Nate rolled his eyes. "I refused to admit that you're a loser."

"I am! Or…was."

"Mitchie, you're one of the coolest people I know, and that says a lot coming from me."

"Somebody's cocky."

He gave her a look. "You know what I mean."

She nodded and for the first time in hours, she smiled. It was weak and didn't reach across her whole face like her normal smiles did but it was there. "Thanks Nate."

Caley watched the exchange between them and realized Mitchie was not like anything Shane's past girlfriends were at all. She was nice and not snooty or preppy at all. She was pretty but she didn't look confident about it. She didn't wear mini skirts or tube tops or high heeled shoes. She was in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with some old converses. Nate even liked her. Nate hated every single one of Shane's old girlfriends but not Mitchie. It was like he and Mitchie were best friends. The old Shane wouldn't go for a type like Mitchie.

"So…he really has changed?" Caley asked quietly, her voice laced with hope.

Both Nate and Mitchie turned their heads to her and nodded. "He really has." Mitchie dug out her phone and went into her pictures. She found one where her and Shane were both smiling at the camera and handed it to Caley.

Caley looked down at the phone and she felt a flood of relief and joy rush through her body. In the picture her brother had one arm around Mitchie and they were both grinning at the camera. On his face was a smile she hadn't seen in years. A true Shane Gray smile. She brought her hand to her mouth and handed the phone back to Mitchie. Mitchie flipped it closed and shoved it into her pocket again.

Caley's eyes suddenly welled with tears and a few spilled over her eyes. "It's not fair!" She cried, surprising both Mitchie and Nate. "Just when I get my brother back he might be taken away from me!"

Mitchie felt that overwhelming sadness consume her again and she looked at the ground not knowing how to reply to that.

After that the hallway went silent again. Caley cried silently for a few minutes until she calmed down. Mitchie's gaze never left the floor and Nate had closed his eyes to rest.

But all three of them perked up when they heard the door open. Brown walked out followed by the doctor and a woman with dark brown hair tied messily back. Her eyes were red and puffy. Her cheeks were red, blotchy and covered in tear stains and she looked totally exhausted. Mitchie guessed that woman was Shane's mother.

"You may go in to see him." The doctor told them and all their faces lit up. "He's not awake." Their faces fell again. "I'm afraid he slipped into a coma."

They all rose to their feet and the doctor held out his hand. "One at a time please."

They all looked at each other and Mitchie offered Caley a small smile and waved her forward. She was his sister, she deserved to go first.

Caley gave her a grateful look, quickly gave the woman a hug and scurried into the room, closing the door behind her.

"I have other business to attend to, he's stable for now, if anything happens let me know." The doctor told them.

Brown and the woman nodded and the Doctor walked off down the hallway. The woman looked around and her eyes landed on Mitchie. She gave a shaky smile and took a step forward. "Is this the Mitchie I heard so much about?"

Mitchie looked over to her, alarmed.

"That's the one." Brown confirmed with a small smile.

The woman walked forward and gently took Mitchie into her arms. "What a pleasure to finally meet you Mitchie." She pulled back a moment later. "I'm Shane's mom."

"Pleasure to meet you Mrs. Gray." Mitchie greeted shyly.

"Oh, I was never too fond of formalities. Please, call me Danielle."

"Pleasure to meet you Danielle." Mitchie corrected and Danielle smiled at her softly.

"Brown has told me many stories about you Mitchie." Danielle told her. Mitchie whirled her head to look at Brown, he shrugged innocently and she blushed heavily. "All good things I assure you." Danielle laughed softly. "How talented you are, what a great personality you have, but most of all what you did for my son. You don't know how long I waited for the day to come when my little boy would be back. I never thought it would. He seemed helplessly lost the world. But you brought him back and for that I am eternally grateful to you Mitchie."

Mitchie blushed again. "Shane's a great guy." She mumbled.

"That he is." Brown agreed.

They continued their conversation for a few more minutes until the door opened again. Caley walked out, looking more dejected then when she walked in. She quickly glanced at Mitchie motioning for her to go in. Mitchie looked around at Danielle and Brown and they nodded to her softly. She took a deep breathe and headed towards the room. She walked in and slowly closed the door behind her until it closed with a 'click.' She didn't know what she was expecting to find when she walked further into the room. How would he look? Could she handle it?

It didn't matter now, she was in the room and she was going to see her Shane. She slowly walked further into the room, it seemed like it was the never ending room until she could finally see the bed. She stared at the foot, refusing to look at his face for a few moments. She slowly made her way up his body until her eyes settled on his face.

She gasped softly and her hand flew to her mouth, her eyes filling with tears. Shane lay completely motionless save for the light rising and falling of his chest. His face and arms were covered with bruises and cuts and he had a white bandage around his head. It didn't look like Shane at all.

She was shaking as she walked closer to his bed. She stopped at his bedside and examined him more closely. He looked even worse from close up. One of his eyes was black and blue along with both sides of his jaw. He had a long cut along right side of his forehead going down to the middle of his cheek. He had a few other smaller cuts all around his face and neck. His lips were chapped and his bottom lip was split open and dried blood had accumulated on top of it. She finally managed to tear her gaze away from his face and to his arms. His knuckles were red and cut up and he had a few cuts up and down his arms. His left wrist was wrapped up in a gauze pad.

"Shane…" She whispered, turning her gaze back to his face. She hoped for a second that Shane's eyes would flutter open and she would see his beautiful brown eyes staring back at her. Despite his condition he would smile for her and she would know that Shane would be alright. But there was no response from the boy.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breathe. She reopened them a minute later and gazed upon the damaged body of her boyfriend. She wished she could run her fingers through his soft, dark hair but it was hidden under that ugly white gauze. Instead she leaned over and very softly pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"Oh Shane."

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	17. Chapter 17

_**A/N: SO I wanted to work on 'Cyber Trouble' but had inspiration for this story! And I know by the end of this chapter, you all are going to hate me. I don't think, I know. But hey it keeps bring you back for more so you know… Just so you know I was listening to the Titanic Soundtrack during part of this and then the last part I nearly started crying. So please don't hate me even though I know you probably will! **_

**B/N: This Is Mitchie, not Mitchie Torres, Mitchie Veronica, The Beta Reader. Hello, I Don't really do this but tomorrow, May 21, Is Your Favorite authors birthday. Wish her a happy birth day. No death threats. And I wanted to also say, I told her not to do this. I did tell her not to. She didn't listen. Well, almost, Happy Reading. **

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock or the Comfort Inn.**_

* * *

Mitchie wasn't aware of how long she was standing there. All she knew that was by the time she snapped out of it, the sky was pitch black. But for her it was like time had stood still. All she could see, all she could think of was Shane lying in that hospital bed. All she could think of was the past few weeks she spent together with him.

From their first meeting in the kitchen, to their first canoe ride, their fight, their make up, when they got together, their cheesy little flirtatious moments, that stupid fight about Tess, Final Jam, the horrible after math of final Jam that probably is the cause for Shane being the way he was in that moment; dealing with Shane's guilt the day after, the awkward conversation with her mother, having fun with all their friends in the lake, and finally…saying goodbye.

She thought the next time she would see Shane would be possibly weeks, even months from then. She would have preferred that. She would have preferred not seeing him for an entire year and in perfect condition rather than seeing him like this.

She jumped when she felt someone touch her shoulder. She turned her head and saw her mother standing next to her giving her a sympathetic look. They both looked at the boy lying in the bed once more. Mitchie remained silent but Connie let out a soft sigh.

"Who could do something like this?" Connie asked quietly.

Mitchie knew exactly who would do something like that, and who did do it. She was ninety nine percent sure that it was Shane's father. However, she could still not find her voice to tell her mother.

"Come on sweetie." Connie gently took her wrist and took a step towards the door, looking back at Mitchie a moment later.

Mitchie didn't want to move. Even if she didn't like seeing Shane in such a state, she still wanted to be in the room with him. Even though he was unconscious she still felt that warmth of his presence. She wanted to curl up next to him and just wait until he woke up.

However, the more logical part of her brain told her that she was being selfish. She wasn't the only one who wanted to see Shane. So she let her mother pull her out, all the while keeping her eyes on Shane until she couldn't see him anymore.

Once she stepped out into the hallway, she seemed to return back to normal, or as normal as she could be. She saw everyone just where she left them except for Nate who was now walking over to her.

The youngest member of Connect 3 locked eyes with Mitchie and extreme worry crossed his features. Mitchie then wondered what she looked like. She felt numb in that room. She could have been crying for however long she was in there.

Mitchie turned her face away, feeling herself choke up again. Nate took her hand, squeezed it lightly then brushed past her and into the room.

Jason was now awake and watching everything quietly, still frowning. He didn't look as upset as he did before but he was definitely not his happy-go-lucky self.

Caley looked just as upset as Mitchie, curled up in a chair, using her mother's shoulder as a pillow while her mother rubbed her shoulders comfortingly. Brown sat across from them, slouched in his chair, holding up his head with his arm, looking completely exhausted.

Mitchie walked over to sit across from the Gray's and a few seats in-between Jason and Brown. Connie took a seat next to her and silence fell among the hallway again. All anyone could hear was the beeping from machines from the other hospital rooms, the nurses and doctors' feet scuffling across the floor as they walked from room to room, and the squeaking of wheelchairs and gurneys.

Eventually Nate came out of the room and Jason went in. Nate took one of the empty seats between Mitchie and Brown. Brown had fallen asleep and even let out a little snore every so often, earning a small, amused smile from Danielle. Caley had also fallen asleep against her mother.

Mitchie watched the small family quietly. She saw where Shane got his good looks from, despite their current condition, both the Gray girls were beautiful, and she hated to admit it, but even his monster of a father had some handsome qualities to him.

Caley, Mitchie realized from the moment she met her, had Shane's temper. But underneath all of that outer tough guy appearance, Shane had his mother's grace. Danielle, although obviously upset, was calmer than most mothers would have been in this position their only young son had been put into. She was even smiling at her brother's (or brother-in-law's…Mitchie still wasn't quite sure how Brown fit into their family tree…) snoring.

His smile was also his mothers, not the menacing sneer his father held. Also the depth of emotions both the Gray girls held in their eyes mirrored Shane's. Countless times she could just stare into Shane's eyes and get lost in the many emotions she saw in them.

Danielle's eyes wandered until they finally landed on Mitchie. Mitchie realized she had been caught staring at them and blushed heavily and Danielle smiled softly.

"Sorry." Mitchie muttered shyly.

"Don't be sorry dear." Danielle replied kindly.

"I was just noticing that you and Shane look a lot alike." Mitchie said.

Danielle got a surprised look on her face. "I don't hear that very often but thank you."

Mitchie nodded quietly and then asked a minute later, "M…uh Danielle, if you don't mind me asking…how bad is he?" she swallowed hard. "Like his medical condition."

Danielle's face grew serious and she sighed quietly, glancing down at the floor.

"You don't have to tell me." Mitchie assured her quietly.

"No sweetie it's alright." She looked up a moment later and let out a breath. "He was shot in the side, right around here…" She placed her hand on the left side of her body. "No one knows how long he was lying there but he lost a lot of blood. The doctors have given him blood though and they managed to get the bullet out and they don't think it caused any serious damage but they can't be sure." She swallowed, obviously trying to fight

back tears. "They also said they hit his head when he fell from the impact of the gunshot and from what they could tell there was no internal bleeding." Her lip started quivering and she bit down on it to stop it. "But anything could change…" She whispered as an afterthought.

Mitchie closed her eyes tightly and felt her mother's arm slip around her. Mitchie leaned her head against Connie's shoulder and felt that overwhelming sadness envelop her again. No tears fell but she felt like she could burst at any second. She couldn't lose Shane, she just couldn't lose him.

After a while she opened her eyes again and saw Danielle had closed her eyes and had begun to drift off with her daughter. Mitchie saw Jason walk out of the room and retreat silently back to his seat. Mitchie had half an urge to get up and go into the room and pull up a chair next to Shane's bed but something told her not to.

Instead she closed her eyes, snuggled into her mother and slowly started to drift off.

* * *

Mitchie awoke in a very unfamiliar place. This was not where she had fallen asleep earlier. She was in a comfortable bed and there was un-hospital like furniture in the room as well. It seemed to her like she was in a hotel room.

She uncovered herself and walked over to the window. She pulled back the shades and immediately shut her eyes at the bright light that hit her eyes. She slowly opened them again and her eyes adjusted to the light. Outside she saw a major highway, a big parking lot and a big sign that read 'Comfort Inn'. She closed the shades and walked into the connecting bathroom. She flicked on the light and walked over to the mirror.

She frowned as she examined herself in the mirror. Her hair was a wreck, she still had the same clothing on as the day before, and she could still see the tear stains marking her cheeks. Flustered, she ran a hand through her hair, and then went to the bathroom, realizing she hadn't gone since she got to the hospital. Afterwards she walked back out and on the chair in her room lie a brand new outfit with a handwritten note on top of it.

**Mitchie**

**I figured in your rush to get here, you'd forget to pack, so I took the liberty to buy you some things. I hope they're good; I'm not too good at picking out girl's fashion. **

**Nate**

She smiled at Nate's kindness and lifted the clothes. Not that she really cared, she could wear a paper bag for all she cared at the moment, but the clothes happened to be just her style. She went back into the bathroom, took a quick shower and dressed in her new clothes. She let her wet hair fall across her shoulders, again not really caring what she looked like.

She stepped out of her bedroom and walked into the main room. She saw Nate and Jason already up and watching TV. Mitchie realized that they also had taken to not caring about their appearance. Instead of their high fashion clothing that they normally wore, Nate wore an old pair of Jeans and a white t-shirt and Jason had on a pair of navy blue sweats, a white t-shirt and a navy blue zip up jacket, looking more like a track star than a pop star.

She walked over and plopped on the couch next to Jason. Both boys looked at her and Jason smiled. "Morning Mitchie." He greeted.

"Morning." She muttered, still a little sleepy.

Mitchie caught Nate eyeing her in the outfit and she gave him a small smile. "I love it Nate, thank you, it's perfect."

The corners of his lips twitched upward and he gave a curt nod. "You're welcome."

She curled her feet up under and cleared her throat looking around, "So uh, where's my mom?"

Both boys smirked in amusement. "She went out grocery shopping. We told her we would order room service but your mother is very persistent."

Mitchie smiled and let a chuckle pass her lips. "Yes she is. She loves to cook…it helps her get her mind off things…" She trailed off and all their faces dropped as they once again were faced with why they were all together again.

"Pop Star Phenomenon and lead singer of Connect 3 – Shane Gray - was hospitalized yesterday, sources say-" The reporters' voice was cut short when Nate clicked off the TV. None of them wanted to hear anything that would just remind them of the serious condition their friend was in.

"I can't believe this is happening." Mitchie muttered finally after a long silence.

"I know." Nate replied. "It feels like a bad nightmare."

A short silence fell upon them again until Jason let out a little screech of pain. Nate and Mitchie both turned to look at him with concern and confusion.

He looked at them and shrugged. "I pinched myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming."

Nate rolled his eyes but he knew he was thinking of doing the same exact thing. He wanted to get out of this living nightmare. He wanted to wake up and be on the tour bus and have Shane teasing him for whimpering like a baby in his sleep. But he was awake, and he wasn't on the tour bus, and Shane could be dying.

Suddenly the door creaked open and Connie's voice could be heard. "…No! I don't have anything to say. No, no comments! Please go away!" She hustled herself into the room and shut the door, using every lock on the door. She sighed, turning around carrying two bags of groceries in her arms, and saw three pairs of eyes staring at her.

"Hello."

Nate stood up and walked over to help her with the grocery bags. "I'm sorry about that Mrs. Torres; we should have stayed somewhere else."

She shook her head and gave him a look walking into the kitchen. "Nonsense Nate, you've done so much for us in past twenty four hours. You're even paying for this beautiful suite, the least I could let you do is stay in it. And with my daughter dating Shane I suppose I'm going to have to get used to the press, why not start now hmmm?"

She started to unpack the groceries while Nate helped and Jason and Mitchie came over to help as well. She saw all of them coming over and gave them exasperated looks. "Will you all stop? Go sit down."

"Mrs. Torres-" Jason started to protest.

She lifted her arm and pointed to the living room. "Sit. You're taking this a lot harder than I am."

"We need something to take our mind off it Mom." Mitchie answered quietly. Jason and Nate nodded in agreement and Connie finally gave in, telling them to put away some of the groceries and set up for breakfast.

Connie went all out on the breakfast, making eggs, bacon, pancakes and hash browns. None of them had eaten the night before and when the food was done, they devoured it. There was not a single crumb left.

After they let their stomachs settle, they all found they could not keep their minds off Shane. They were all curious to see how he was doing. So they decided to head back to the hospital.

They quietly made their way out of the hotel room and until the first turn in the hallway they were clear. But the press was waiting for them near the elevator, so with Nate and Jason's help they pushed their way through the crowds and into the elevator.

They met a fan in the elevator. She asked for their autograph and her mother scolded her, obviously hearing about the news report that morning. Jason said that it was alright and he and Nate signed her shirt.

Once they got out of the elevator, more press was waiting for them downstairs and eventually they made it outside to the limo. And then they were off to the hospital.

When they arrived they were surprised to see that the number of fans seemed to dissipate but there were still a number of them, with much annoyance to the hospital staff. They gasped when they saw Nate and Jason but didn't chase after them; even they were not that stupid. But being in a better mood than the night before, Nate and Jason signed a few autographs, respectfully declined releasing any information on Shane's condition and then headed upstairs with Mitchie and Connie.

When they got to the familiar hallway, they only saw Caley. She was still in the same clothes as the night before but she looked more awake and not as upset. She looked up when she saw them and even gave them a small smile. "Hey guys." She greeted quietly.

"Hey." Nate, Mitchie and Jason all greeted back and walked over to her.

"Where is everybody?" Nate asked looking around.

"Mom's inside with the doctor. Uncle Brown went out for a little while." Caley replied.

"How is Shane?" Mitchie asked in a near whisper. Caley looked up at her and then shrugged lightly.

"I haven't heard much. From what I have heard though he hasn't gotten any worse or any better."

Mitchie sighed and glanced down at the ground nodding. She took a seat next to Caley and let her arms rest gently across her chest. Nate, Jason and Connie took a seat across from them.

Mitchie saw Caley looking at her out of the corner of her eye and turned to look at her, hoping she wouldn't call her what she called her yesterday. Instead the younger girl smiled. "Uncle Brown told me all about you Mitchie." Caley said and giggled when Mitchie's eyes widened. "He told me how happy Shane is around you. He told me how you brought out the best in him."

Mitchie blushed and bit her lip. "Yeah…I guess I do."

"He told me how he looks at you. Like you're the only thing in the world. I know you care about him a lot if you came all the way over here and everything…but do you love him?"

Mitchie's eyes widened further and she swallowed hard. "L-love?" She laughed out a breath. "That's a powerful word. I've only known him for a few weeks…I…I-I can't really say that it's love. I care about him very deeply and I think in time it will develop into love but its not there yet."

"Good answer." Caley replied with a smile, seeming more like an adult than a thirteen year old girl. Mitchie cocked her eyebrow. Caley elaborated, "I've asked Shane's past girlfriends that question and they replied that they were totally and completely head over heels in love with him only after knowing him for a day or two. I don't think its possible to fall in love that quickly, you need time to get to know that person and really, truly love them."

All four other mouths dropped at her response. That definitely did not sound like a thirteen year old girl.

"I think we could be great friends Mitchie." Caley told her and Mitchie gave her a small smile.

"Me too Caley, me too."

Just at that moment, the door swung open, all heads turned to look and Danielle stood in the doorway with a big smile on her face. "He's waking up!"

First shock spread across all of their faces followed by a grin. They all scrambled to their feet and rushed into the room.

And sure enough, Shane was stirring. They all surrounded his bed but tried not to get too close, everyone but his mother standing behind the foot of his bed.

Shane emitted a small noise as his eyes slowly fluttered open. His left eye was practically swollen shut but his right eye was just fine, although squinting at the moment from the bright light in the room.

Mitchie felt relief course through her. Shane was awake; she could look into his eyes again.

He let out a soft moan as he looked around. "Mom?" His voice was raspy and hoarse.

She gave a teary smile and took a step closer to him, placing her hand softly over his. "I'm here sweetie."

He tried to shift but then gave up a moment later letting out another quiet moan. "What happened?"

"We were hoping you would tell us." Danielle replied softly and gently sat at the corner of his bed. "You don't remember?"

Shane looked at her and very lightly shook his head. "No."

"What's the last thing you do remember?"

Mitchie held her breath as she waited for the answer. She didn't know what she would do if Shane didn't remember who she was, who they were, everything they did together.

Shane furrowed his brow and got a concentrated look on his face. "I remember…" He shook his head lightly. "I remember…saying goodbye to Mitchie."

His eyes immediately looked up and scanned the room until they settled on Mitchie whose face was now lit up.

"That's the last thing?" Danielle asked.

Shane still keeping his gaze locked on Mitchie nodded. "Yeah." He whispered.

"Everything after that is just a blank."

Danielle sighed dejectedly. Shane was their only hope to find out who his attacker was and he didn't remember.

"So why am I in here?" He asked hoarsely. "What's wrong with me?"

Everyone looked at each other and then Danielle finally looked back at her son, whose questioning eyes were upon her again. "You were shot."

"S-shot? With-with a gun?" Shane asked his good eye widening. "Where?"

"At Camp."

"Camp Rock?" he let out a small scoff. "What is it one of those weird camps for murderers disguised as a music camp?" He joked.

Nate smirked, happy that Shane was cracking jokes at a time like this. However, Danielle did not find it too amusing.

"Shane." She scolded softly.

"Kidding, mom." He closed his eyes and winced, reopening his eyes a moment later. All eyes were now staring at him in concern.

"Are you alright Shane?" Danielle asked, forgetting her annoyance with him over his comment.

"My side hurts." He responded quietly. "Is that where I was shot?"

Danielle nodded quietly, her eyes filling up with tears. Shane noticed this and gently squeezed her hand that was still resting on top of his.

"Don't cry Mom, it's just a little pain." He winced again and bit out a breathy laugh. "Bound to happen when you get shot." He tried to give her a weak smile but his face contorted up in pain instead and he let out a small whimper.

"Just take it easy son." Danielle whispered and reached over to press a soft kiss on his forehead.

Shane nodded and sucked in a deep breath and let it out, his voice laced with pain. He closed his eyes tightly and both his hands curled into fists at his sides as he slowly breathed in and out.

Everyone watched him carefully and what they all noticed, to their dissatisfaction, is that his pain only seemed to intensify every second.

His eyes remained closed, and his breathing became quicker and labored, and every few seconds he would let out a whimper.

"Shane." Danielle stated in worry, voicing the thoughts of every occupant in the room. Shane opened his eyes and his good eye was glossed over with tears of pain. He stretched out his hand and gripped onto his mothers, seeming to forget anyone else in the room.

"Mommy it hurts." He whimpered, starting to writhe around on his bed.

Nate and Jason stood shocked and worried at their best friends' sudden intense pain. Caley's eyes filled with tears and she reached for the nearest person for comfort, which was Connie, who was willing to give it.

Mitchie felt utterly helpless as she watched him in such a vulnerable state.

Danielle let Shane squeeze her hand and she tried to calm him down. "Shh…shh, Shane I know."

Shane locked eyes with his mother, a single tear falling down his cheek as he continued to whimper softly. "Make it go away." He took a few shuddering breaths. "Please."

"Hold on baby, I'm gonna call the doctor okay?"

Shane continued to breathe in sharply and closed his eyes tightly, his heart rate spiking immensely. Danielle let go of Shane's hand and the second her hand left his, it seemed to act as a trigger mechanism.

For a split second, Shane's breathing went back to normal, and he stopped writhing, however his heart rate still continued to climb. Then before any of them could even dream to hope that it was over, his whole body started convulsing.

Nate and Jason could only watch in horror. Caley buried the side of her head into Connie's side, keeping an eye on her brother, while Connie wrapped her arm protectively around the younger girl while watching the scene unfold. Mitchie backed up against the wall, her hands covering her mouth while tears threatened to fall.

Danielle hit the paging button as hard as she could and then whirled around to Connie. "Get them out of here!" She exclaimed, meaning her daughter and Mitchie who were obviously very distraught by the whole thing happening.

Connie nodded immediately and led Caley out of the door and grabbed Mitchie's arm as well. Nate and Jason followed them quickly and Connie got them out of the room, not however, before they all heard him flat line.

* * *


	18. Chapter 18

_**A/N: I atually was surprised that I didn't get any deaththreats! Probably because It was my birthday right? Well thanks, that was a great birthday present! I think you'll enjoy this chapter! It's long but there's a lot in it!**_

* * *

Mitchie stared blankly at the white tiles of the hospital hallway. She was curled up in a chair with her knees curled up to her chest, her arms wrapped around her legs and her chin rested on her knees. She had stopped crying hours ago but her cheeks were very tear stained and red.

Mitchie wasn't aware as to where the others had gone; all she knew was that she was alone in the big, white hallway. And that she was numb, terribly numb. She never thought that someone could feel like she felt then.

She didn't even hear the noises of the hospital. She didn't see the nurses and doctors walk past. She was staring at the tiles for so long that the cracks in between them faded out until all she saw a blank white surface.

And her mind was just as blank as the white tiles. Not one though ran through her head, not one that she could remember anyway. Although all she saw was white, she had been consumed by darkness.

She didn't know how long she was out of it but finally she felt someone shaking her and a distant voice. She slowly came to and realized it was Nate's voice and he was calling her name.

The separate tiles started appearing again and slowly, but surely all her senses hit her again. She turned her head to look at Nate and that's when he stopped shaking her.

The boy who she had gotten very close to in the last 24 hours, had that concerned look she had seen on him many times since she first arrived at the hospital.

"Hey." He greeted quietly. "Your mom asked me to check up on you….how are you holding up?"

Mitchie stared at him, her facial expression unchanging. Then she turned back to look at the floor, blinking once.

Nate sighed quietly and sat down in the seat next to her, placing one hand on her back gently. "Come on Mitchie, it'll be alright." He swallowed. "This is hard for everyone." He choked out. "Imagine how Mrs. Gray and Caley are feeling."

Mitchie's eyes widened slightly and tears filled her eyes again, a few spilling down her cheeks.

"Mitchie please don't cry…" Nate begged quietly rubbing her back.

She placed her feet on the ground and turned to look at Nate. Her lip quivered and she reached over and rested her head on his shoulder, sobbing quietly. "I'm so selfish Nate."

Nate's arm slipped across her shoulders and he looked down at her. "Why do you say that?"

"Here I am acting like a freakin zombie and I've only known Shane for a few weeks."

"Mitchie it's alright that you're upset. You really like Shane and we had a bad scare a few hours ago. But they got him stable again. He's back in comatose but he'll be alright. You're just in shock Mitchie, it happens all the time." Nate explained.

"I still feel like I shouldn't be the one whose this upset. He's not one of my family members…"

"Mitchie, you're one of his best friends and his girlfriend. He would be in the same position you are if you were in his position."

Mitchie shook her head. "Not Shane…" She whispered. "He's too strong."

"He would." Nate insisted. "Mitchie, if he saw happen to you what you saw happen to him just a couple of hours ago, all traces of cool, calm and collected Shane would be gone. I don't know if he would be a 'zombie' as you so call it, he tends to get more angry. He would yell, scream, have a tantrum and then finally break down in tears."

Mitchie looked up at him curiously. "It seems like you've seen this before."

Nate's lips curved up in a small smile. "Nah, I just know Shane. Not only is it him but its also in the male nature to not get weak so he would get angry before he let his sad emotions take hold. But because he cares about you – a lot- he would let his sad emotions take over because it would be too overwhelming for him."

"Really?"

Nate nodded curtly. "Really." He scoffed out a laugh. "He's obsessed with you, he really is."

"Obsessed?" Mitchie asked skeptically.

"Sure, almost every word out of his mouth since the moment he met you has been about you. 'Mitchie-' this and 'Mitchie-' that. He's got it bad, although for you that may not be a bad thing. I'm sure any girl would dream to have a guy feel for them what Shane feels for you." He glanced at Shane's room. "He's fighting for his life in there. As we saw before his body wants to give up but his mind doesn't. He's trying to pull through, I'm sure for a lot of things, but you're at the top of list. That's what I believe anyway."

"You really think he cares about me that much?"

"I know he does." Nate answered. "Anyone can tell by the way he looks at you, the way he talks about you, the way he looks when he's talking about you."

"Who does he talk to about me?" Mitchie asked in surprise.

"Well he's not in access to many people while at Camp but to us - me and Jason - when he told us he was going to go hang out with you, his eyes lit up and I don't think he was aware of the lovesick smile he got on his face. It just sort of came with saying your name. We'd tease him a few times, but all in good fun. It's a whole lot better seeing him love sick than seeing him ego sick."

Mitchie smiled at Nate's words, happy that Shane felt the same for her that she felt for him. But then her smile faded, at the thought that she might not be able to see his eyes light up when he sees her or the love sick smile. She closed her eyes and pressed her head further into Nate's shoulder.

Nate's grip tightened around her and he rested his head against hers. "He'll be alright Mitchie. He'll make it through."

"How can you be so sure?" She whispered.

"The Shane I know wouldn't give up without giving it his all."

"But he was so weak in there." She sucked in a breath, trying to fight back tears. "He was in so much pain."

"Hey," He nudged her softly, "Where's the optimistic Mitchie I met at Camp?"

Mitchie shook her head lightly. "She got taken away along with Shane's consciousness."

"Shane wouldn't want you to give up on him."

Mitchie lifted her head to look at him and he gave her a serious look.

"I'm not giving up on him." She replied quietly.

"It seems like you are. Your tone of voice suggests you think he's going to die."

Mitchie felt her chest tighten when Nate said those words so calmly and subtly. "He almost did die…" She answered in a near whisper.

"But he didn't." Nate replied. "He's alive and he's going to pull through. You have to believe that."

"It's so hard." She muttered closing her eyes. "Especially seeing him in the condition he's in."

"I know he looks pretty bad." Nate agreed. "But people have been through worse and lived. Truly, Shane isn't in as bad as a condition as you might think. After they got him stable again, they ran a bunch of tests on him and found that the bullet wound did no damage to any of his organs. They think that the reason he was in so much pain was that the pain medication they gave him had almost completely worn off and that he didn't feel it while he was unconscious so once he was conscious it hit him and hard."

Mitchie opened her eyes to look at him and furrowed her brow. "And the seizure?"

"From the shock of it all mostly. And he when he hit his head it caused a little damage and that's what caused the seizure."

Mitchie swallowed, finding the strength to ask the next question. "Why did he…flat line?"

Nate sighed quietly. "That's the question that has gone unanswered. The doctors are not sure. It might have been the strain he put on himself which caused his heart to overwork and then shut down. It might have been because of the seizure. However they didn't have to even use the defibrillator on him, his mom used her parental instincts and performed CPR on him, got his heart started again before the doctors and nurses even came in. And once it started again, his heart rate was normal. It was probably just some strange reaction his body had. The doctors have been monitoring him every half hour since it happened and his heart rate has not increased or decreased in any significant numbers. I think having all of us in the room contributed to what happened."

"And you're not just saying all of this to make me feel better?"

Nate cocked an eyebrow and gave her a look if disbelief. "Mitchie why would I lie about my best friend's medical condition?"

"I don't know." Mitchie muttered, shrugging.

"I wouldn't." He confirmed. "Shane's going to be alright. It may take some time but he'll be alright."

She gave him a weak smile and gave him a half hug. "Thanks Nate."

"No problem Mitchie."

"Nate?"

"Yeah?"

She looked over at him. "Why did you do this?"

He furrowed his brow in confusion. "Do what?"

"Everything. Flew me and my mom over, paid for the hotel room. And you were always there comforting me, helping me. Why?"

"First of all, it's what Shane would have wanted. If he knew that I didn't do anything to help you while he was in his state, he would kill me. And second of all, I know we haven't known each other for that long but I would consider us friends, I don't know about you, but I do. And friends do things for friends when they're in need."

Mitchie let a smile spread across her face. "Yeah, of course I consider us friends. And Jason too. Speaking of which, where is he?"

Nate smirked. "In the waiting room down the hallway."

Mitchie turned her head to the side and gave him a suspicious look. "Why are you smirking like that?"

He let go of Mitchie and rose to his feet, Mitchie following him with her eyes. "If you come with me you'll see."

Mitchie rose to her feet slowly keeping a curious glance on him. He continued to smirk. "Shall we?"

They both headed down the hallway, Mitchie's legs feeling a little wobbly for not being on them for hours. They reached the waiting room and Mitchie looked around.

She gasped when she saw Jason talking to a familiar face. "Caitlyn!"

Jason and Caitlyn turned their heads in the direction of the voice. Caitlyn's eyes widened slightly and she jogged past Jason over to her new friend, embracing her tightly. "Oh Mitchie, I'm so sorry about what happened."

Mitchie hugged her back, sniffling softly but smiling just a little. She was glad to see Caitlyn there. "Thanks Cait." She pulled back and shook her head lightly. "What are you doing here?"

Caitlyn looked past Mitchie and Mitchie followed her gaze to Nate leaning against the wall. "Nate flew me over." She answered with a smile.

Mitchie's jaw dropped and she gave him a look of disbelief. She scoffed lightly and walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him giving a proper hug. "Thank you Nate." She whispered. "You really are the best."

He chuckled lightly. "Not better than Shane though right?"

Mitchie looked up and smirked. "A very close second." Her smile grew when his did. She let go of Nate and went back over to Caitlyn.

"Thanks for coming Cait."

"Please and leave my best friend to suffer by herself? Not a chance." Caitlyn replied.

"Thanks but I'm not suffering. At least not anymore. Nate helped pull me through it."

"He's good at that." She quickly glanced over to Nate and saw him roll his eyes. She chuckled quietly.

"He's done a lot for me." Mitchie responded with a nod. Nate took a few steps forward to get closer to the girls.

"And there's more yet to come."

Mitchie's eyes widened as she stared at Nate. "Nate! What else could you give me?!"

He straightened up to look over her shoulder and then smirked. "That." He pointed towards the doorway. Mitchie whirled around and her eyes widened slightly.

There, walking in with her mother was her father and Sierra. She felt her eyes well up with tears at seeing her best friend there and she didn't care where she was, she exclaimed her name and ran over to her. Sierra was her sister by everything but blood, it meant more to her than words could say to have her there.

Sierra looked surprised at first at Mitchie's outburst but then she saw her friends' tears and welcomed her with open arms. Both girls hugged each other tightly while Mitchie's parents smiled behind them.

"I'm so glad you're here Si." Mitchie muttered still holding onto her.

"I would never not come for you Mitch." She replied.

Eventually they both pulled away and Mitchie gave Sierra a tearful smile. Sierra returned a sad smile and gave Mitchie's hand a squeeze. Then Mitchie caught her father's eye and she walked around Sierra.

"Daddy."

Steve opened his arms and Mitchie walked into them. Steve enclosed his arms around his daughter and softly pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I'm so sorry this is happening baby girl. You don't deserve to go through something like this."

She lifted her head, sniffling softly, to look at him. "I thought you didn't like Shane, Daddy."

"Well…" He pursed his lips and Connie slapped his arm lightly. He smiled a bit and shook his head. "I see how much he means to you Mitchie. If you're this upset over him he must be something special."

"He is, he really is."

"I've decided to give him a chance."

A bright smile broke Mitchie's features and she hugged him tightly. "Thank you Daddy."

He nodded gently. "Anything for you baby girl."

She reached up and kissed his cheek softly. Then she turned back to Sierra and saw Caitlyn, Nate and Jason standing on the other side of the waiting room. She grabbed Sierra's hand. "Come on I want to introduce you to my friends."

Sierra nodded and followed Mitchie, her eyes widening when she saw Nate and Jason.

"Sierra, this is Caitlyn, Nate and Jason. Guys this is Sierra."

"Hey" "Hello" "Hi!" Caitlyn, Nate and Jason replied, respectively.

"Oh My God…" Sierra muttered her eyes still wide. "This is actually them." She quickly glanced at Mitchie. "I mean your mom told me that you had been with them and I saw the news report but…"

"News report?" Mitchie questioned, cutting her off.

Sierra nodded. "Yeah, on Hot Tunes this morning they showed you and your mom with Nate and Jason coming out of some hotel."

Mitchie looked at Nate and Jason. "Did you know about this?"

"We expected it." Nate replied and Jason nodded in agreement.

"With all those reporters there was no way that it wasn't going to be on the news. Especially since we were with you and they don't know who you are." Jason added.

Mitchie frowned and remained quiet. After a minute she looked at Sierra and saw that her eyes were still wide. "Oh right sorry Si, you were saying something?"

"Oh." Sierra blushed. "Yeah, I was uh saying that I can't believe you actually know Connect 3."

Jason spoke up for Mitchie, "yeah," He grinned and wrapped his arms around Mitchie, squeezing her tightly. "Mitchie's our bestest friend."

Mitchie coughed and she placed her hands over Jason's. "Jase---air---please."

Alarm spread across Jason's face and he released his arms and gave a now coughing Mitchie a sheepish grin. "Sorry." Nate rolled his eyes.

Once she got her breathing back to normal she gave him a small smile. "Its okay Jason, just not so tight next time."

"Gotcha." Jason gave her a thumbs up and Mitchie and Caitlyn giggled. Jason looked at Sierra and saw her staring at him, star shocked.

He grinned and waved happily. "Hi!"

She lifted her hand in a shy wave. "Hello." She muttered. He walked over to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder lightly and she froze up, her eye widening. "So you're Mitchie's friend? That's cool! A friend of Mitchie's is a friend of ours. But only if you're nice, although I don't think Mitchie would be friends with someone who wasn't nice. Though they could be pretending to be nice, like that girl Tess, she was pretending to be nice but she really wasn't. I don't want to be friends with her. But I don't think you're-"

"JASON!" Nate hissed and Jason looked over to him.

"Yeah Nate?"

"Shut up! You're scaring the poor girl!" Jason looked down at Sierra and saw that she had a look on her face that was a cross between nervousness and shock. He immediately withdrew his arm and took a step back. "Sorry!" He walked over to Nate and stood beside him. "I was just trying to be nice." He explained.

Mitchie laughed as she walked over to Sierra, looking at Jason. "Don't worry Jase, you didn't scare her. She's just a very big fan of Connect 3 so she's having a fan girl moment."

Jason smiled. "You're a fan?" Sierra nodded a bit. "Sweet! Cuz if you hated us that would be a little weird, being a friend of Mitchie and all. And being our friend too, cuz you can't really befriend someone you hate. That kinda beats the point of friendship, don't ya think? I think so I-" Nate clapped his hand over Jason's mouth, who didn't seem to notice and kept mumbling on under Nate's hand. Nate rolled his eyes and Mitchie and Caitlyn smiled.

'Sorry' Nate mouthed to Sierra and she gave him a small smile.

"Anyway!" Caitlyn stated with a smile and turned around to face Sierra. She stuck out her hand for her. "I know we were already introduced but I'm Caitlyn."

Sierra smiled and shook her hand. "Nice to meet you."

"You too, it's nice to finally meet you."

Sierra lifted her eyebrows and looked at Mitchie. "You talked about me?"

Mitchie shrugged sheepishly. "Guilty as charged."

"All good things I hope."

"Nothing but!" Caitlyn answered. "Whenever she saw something that reminded her of you she'd go off telling stories."

Sierra looked at Mitchie and Mitchie blushed. Sierra chuckled and turned back to Caitlyn.

"I wish I could say the same for you but I only got to speak for Mitchie for about two minutes when she got home."

Mitchie's smile faded as she remembered that dreadful call.

That statement also seemed to trigger something in Caitlyn's mind and she looked at Mitchie. "Right, how's Shane?"

"Unconscious." Mitchie replied quietly. "He's stable though."

"God this sucks." Caitlyn shook her head. "I really wish we knew who did this to him, so we could lock the jerk up in jail."

"I have a pretty good idea." Mitchie muttered.

"Who?!" Caitlyn exclaimed.

"You remember that man we saw outside of the theater the night of Final Jam?"

Caitlyn furrowed her brow. "Mitch- I agree he was a little creepy but you can't put this on him just because he looked creepy."

"That's not the reason." Mitchie responded and she took a breath and leaned in closer to her. "That was Shane's father."

"What? So you're saying it was Shane's father?"

"Wait! Shane's father?" All three girls jumped when Nate and Jason suddenly appeared in their little circle.

Mitchie nodded. "Shane has a really bad history with his father. He showed up that night of final Jam and wanted to talk to Shane but Shane wouldn't have it so Shane told him to leave. Before he left Brown told his father that he was not allowed on the property or he would call the cops." She shook her head letting out a sigh. "The only one cruel enough to hurt Shane like that would be that man. He almost did it once four years ago, why wouldn't he do it now?"

"Oh My God…" Caitlyn and Sierra muttered together.

"I knew his father left his family when Shane was little but I didn't know he abused him." Nate whispered shaking his head. "Geez, no wonder he was so messed up."

Mitchie shook her head in response to Nate. "Shane had forgotten all about his father, he would have become a jerk whether his father was there for him or not."

"Did you tell Mrs. Gray who you thought it was?" Nate asked.

Mitchie shook her head. "You guys were the first. I was too upset before to say anything about it."

Sierra placed a hand on her back comfortingly and Mitchie gave her a thankful smile.

"Besides, we can't do anything about it not until Shane wakes up and confirms that it was him."

"What if he doesn't remember?" Jason asked. "He didn't remember the last time he woke up."

"What if…what if he doesn't wake up?" Caitlyn asked quietly and Mitchie tensed up. Nate shot Caitlyn a look.

"He's going to wake up." He said forcefully.

"But-"

"Caitlyn. He is going to wake up." He looked at Jason. "And he's going to remember. He's going to be alright."

They all looked at Nate and Mitchie noticed something. His jaw was clenched and his eyes were glossy. There was also something to the tone of his voice. Like he wasn't trying to just convince everyone else that Shane was going to pull through, he was trying to also convince himself. Maybe he wasn't as confident that Shane was going to live as he let on. Maybe he didn't want to admit that he might possibly lose his best friend.

At that thought Mitchie's eyes welled up with tears and a few spilled down her cheeks. Everyone looked at her when she let out a small sob.

"Mitchie…" Sierra took her friend into her arms and Mitchie welcomed her hug and cried onto her shoulder quietly.

Jason looked at Nate and frowned, slapping his arm. "You see what you did! You made Mitchie cry!"

"I didn't do anything!" Nate defended.

"Guys." Caitlyn hissed. "Shut up."

Jason and Nate glared at each other but shut up. Mitchie cried silently for a little while until she got a very strong urge to see Shane.

She pulled back from Sierra. "Would you guys excuse me for a while?"

They all nodded. "Sure Mitchie." Caitlyn answered.

Mitchie gave her a thankful look and then headed back to Shane's room, hearing Jason, Caitlyn and Nate whisper yelling at each other.

She got to Shane's room, let out a breath and pushed the door open. She walked in quietly and got the same broken feeling she got the first time she walked in to see him.

She saw him lying there and to her it looked like he was worse then the first time she saw him, although in retrospect he was probably a whole lot better. As she walked closer to him, she heard his heart monitor beeping at a normal pace. She closed her eyes, praying that she would never have to hear the monotonous tone of a flat line again.

She pulled a chair next to his bed and took a seat. For a while she just sat there examining every visible part of his body. Now that she really looked at him, under all the cuts and bruises she could see the familiar facial features that belonged to Shane Gray.

"Hi Shane." She slowly reached forward and her hand hovered over his for a moment before she decided to place it gently over his. Her eyes shot to the heart monitor when she heard it blip irregularly for a second. She watched it carefully but after that one quick blip it returned back to normal. She thought for a moment and then a smile slowly broke her melancholy facade and she looked back at Shane.

"You can hear me can't you?" She listened and watched for any signs but there was nothing. "I think you can." She whispered and rubbed the bruised skin on his hand softly. "And if you can, I want you to listen to me Shane." She leaned in closer to him so she was only a few inches from his face.

"We all need you to pull through this Shane. Me, Nate, Jason, Brown, your mother and Caley." She sniffled softly. "They don't hate you Shane. They forgive you, I know they do. They know it wasn't your fault what you were. Your sister is ecstatic that you're back to being yourself. You can't leave her now Shane. You can't let your mother lose her only son. Her first born." She swallowed as she tried to fight back tears. "I know Brown sees you as his son. Nate and Jason would be lost without you, what would happen to Connect 3?" She let out a deep sigh. "And you can't leave me." Finally the tears that were threatening to fall fell and she closed her eyes shaking her head. "You can't leave me not when I just got you. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me Shane. I can't lose you, not yet. Not ever. Please don't let me lose you. Please don't let the world lose you."

She took a shuddering breath and very softly kissed his cheek. Her eyes snapped open when she heard that blip again. She stared at his face for any signs of movement or registering what she said. A wave of disappointment hit her when she saw nothing happening. She looked down at the white bed sheets. "Please." She whispered.

Then suddenly her heart stopped. Or at least, it felt like it did. For under her hand, Shane's finger twitched. She stared down at their hands and watched it. It felt like forever until it twitched again. A smile grew on her face when another one twitched and then his hand moved and curled around her thumb. Just as she was lifting her head, a low moan escaped his lips.

She looked at his face hopefully and she let out a small cry when she saw his eyes fluttering. His eyes very slowly fluttered open and they traveled around the room until they settled on her.

"Shane…" She whispered.

His eyebrows furrowed for a moment and then the corner of his lips perked up. "Mitchie." He whispered back.

"Shane!" She had to resist throwing herself at him. Instead she just squeezed his hand gently. "Oh My God, you're awake."

"I guess so." He replied, his voice raspy.

"Oh My God…I have to tell the others." She started to get out of her seat when Shane's hand gently gripped hers, holding her back. She turned back to him and he shook his head.

"Shane?"

"Later." He whispered. "Please. Stay."

She smiled and sat back down in her chair. She felt an overwhelming happiness that not only was Shane awake but he only wanted her there. "I'm not going anywhere." She told him.

He smiled softly and closed his eyes. He sucked in a breath and very slowly shifted his body. Mitchie's eyes widened remembering what happened the last time he did that. "Shane." She called out to try and stop him.

But he was persistent and he moved himself until he was lying on his good side. Then he opened his eyes, looked at her and gave her a reassuring smile, telling her he was alright. Then he patted the empty space beside him. She looked at the bed and then at him and repeated that a few times.

"Come next to me." Shane pleaded hoarsely. She settled her eyes on his face and couldn't resist the look in his eyes. She slowly rose to her feet and then carefully climbed onto the bed beside him, staying as far away as she could from him so as to not hurt him.

Shane placed his hand over hers and gave it a very light tug, signaling he wanted her to move closer. She shook her head. He frowned and furrowed his brow. "If you don't come here I'll come there."

Mitchie's eyes widened. She did not want him moving himself at all. So she gave him a look before she moved closer to him so their bodies were touching. He smiled in satisfaction and slung one arm around her, to hold her to him.

He very slowly lifted his head and kissed the side of her face softly before returning his head to the pillow. Then he yawned and his eyes drifted close again.

Being in the worry-some state she's been in lately, she grew alarmed. "Shane." She called to him.

With his eyes still closed, he grabbed one of her hands with his free one, squeezed it gently and his lips curved up just a tiny bit. Mitchie felt herself relax after that. She watched him drift back into sleep with that small smile still on his face and his hand still holding onto hers.

Is was in those few moments, while watching him sleep, that she knew for herself that Shane was going to be alright.

* * *

_**A/N: I was going to leave you with another cliffhanger but the last one was so evil I decided to make up for it by not doing that and adding some cute Smitchie fluff at the end there. **_

_**By the way who saw The Jonas Brothers' new video 'Paranoid' it awesome! I love that song! **_


	19. Chapter 19

_**A/N: This chapter switches its tone A LOT! When I was writing the ending to this chapter, I was really upset so I just kinda let it out in that. Sorry.

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**_

Connie sat next to her husband in the waiting room. She watched Caitlyn, Sierra, Nate and Jason sitting on the other side of the waiting room against a wall. They all seemed to be getting along which was very good. It was nice for her to see Mitchie's old friend and new friends congregating well together.

Connie found amusement in the fact that Sierra still looked star struck around Nate and Jason. She looked shy, which she normally never is, Sierra was always outgoing. And whenever Nate or Jason would speak to her directly, she would tense up and smile nervously.

However Connie knew how she felt. She would never admit it to anyone but she felt a little star struck by the teenage band. They were international super stars, anyone would feel a little awed in their presence.

When she Mitchie's age she dreamed of having a famous boyfriend. Like Mitchie herself, she would have pictures of her dream boy up on her wall. What teenage girl didn't? And only in her wildest dreams did she ever picture going out with them.

She saw the posters of Connect 3 up on Mitchie's wall and thought that's what it was going to be. Mitchie would dream about dating one of them for a few years and then grow out of it and find someone, like her own Steve, and marry them.

But Mitchie was that one in a million who got the famous guy to fall for her. Out of every girl that he has met, he chose her.

If all went well, she would have a famous son-in-law some day. She giggled at the thought. Steve turned to his wife and raised an eyebrow. "What's so funny?"

"I was just thinking…" Connie replied wistfully.

"About..?" He inquired.

"About how one day we'll have a famous son-in-law."

Steve's eyes widened and he shook his head. "Oh Connie don't even start."

She placed her hand on his knee and gave him a warm smile. "Steve you know it's bound to happen."

"No. Not until she's thirty." Steve replied with a frown.

She laughed at him. "Steve, she's sixteen. It's not like she's going to run off with him and get married tomorrow. Eventually, it will happen."

"They just met this summer Connie, how can you be so sure this boy is the one she's going to be with for the rest of her life?"

"If you opened your eyes and saw two young people instead of seeing your daughter with her first boyfriend, you would know."

"She's my _only_ daughter with a boyfriend who's _older _and _famous_."

She smiled softly. "I know Steve but…you should see the way he looks at her." She sighed dreamily. "He genuinely cares for her, he doesn't want to take advantage of her or hurt her in anyway. He's a good kid."

Steve rolled his eyes. "Oh no, don't tell me you've fall under the Shane Gray charm as well."

"Steve." She scoffed slapping his leg lightly. "Don't be ridiculous."

"You got the same look on your face as those girls over there do." He pointed to a group of girls who were obviously there waiting to hear anything on Shane.

Connie made a face. "I do not."

"You do too." Steve contradicted. "That Pop Star has you wound around his finger. He's young, he's handsome, he's famous, surely he's mastered the art of deceit."

Connie's jaw dropped and she gave Steve an appalled look. "Steven Torres, how can you say that?"

"Because it's true Connie. Have you not seen the news reports on him? He is a ladies man."

Connie shook her head. "I refuse to believe that."

"By saying that you are proving my point. He has you charmed Connie."

She scoffed. "He is an eighteen year old boy. To this day there is only one man who can 'charm' me and right now he is getting on my nerves." She crossed her arms.

Steve sighed and his eyes caught an old Hot Tunes magazine. He snatched it up and flicked through the pages until he found what he was looking for. He smirked and shoved it onto Connie's lap. "You see?"

Connie looked down at the magazine on her lap and saw a picture of Shane with a skinny blonde trampy looking girl. She pursed her lips and flipped to the front of the magazine to look at the date. She snapped it shut and threw it back at her husband. "This was from almost two years ago Steven. Shane is not that boy anymore."

"They show you what you want to see." Steve replied.

She turned in her chair and gave him a stern look. "You know what I think? I think that you're only judging Shane because he's captured your daughter's heart. It wouldn't matter what boy it was, you would find something wrong with him. Shane had a bad history yes but he changed. You haven't seen him with our daughter the last few weeks. There is no way he's acting. No one can act that loving look that he gets in his eyes whenever he looks at her." She let out an exasperated sigh. "And what about Mitchie? You promised her you would give Shane a chance. Were you lying to her just to make her feel better?"

"Of course not!" Steve defended.

"Well trash talking Shane isn't really giving him a chance."

"I said I would give him a chance, not that I would like it." He corrected. "And it's not just this magazine, I've heard numerous reports about him, just the beginning of the summer. They weren't positive either."

"He wasn't the same in the beginning of the summer. Mitchie changed him."

"Mitchie changed him." Steve repeated skeptically.

"Yes. You saw them the night of Final Jam. That smile on his face that was not one of a jerky pop star."

"All I saw was her with some jerky pop star."

She huphed. "I'm going to prove to you that Shane is not who you say he is. Not anymore."

"Alright, I'd like to see the day." Steve replied.

"Oh, you will." Connie answered, sounding sure of herself. She crossed her legs and turned to face opposite her husband. Steve huphed and turned his attention to the television across the room.

After a few minutes of thick tension, Danielle and Caley walked into the waiting room. They had gone come to change and clean them selves up.

Danielle spotted Connie and walked over to her, Caley trailing quietly behind her. Connie's face lightened up at seeing Danielle.

"Hello Connie."

"Hello Danielle." Connie greeted in return. She quickly glanced at her husband next to her, giving him a sour look. "This is my husband, Steve. Steve, this is Danielle Gray, Shane's mother."

Steve quickly glanced away from the TV to look at Danielle. She smiled at him warmly. "It's nice to meet you."

He cocked an eyebrow at her and then turned back to the TV. Danielle's smile fell and she looked back at Connie. Connie rolled her eyes and stood up.

"Sorry about him. He's not too big a fan of your son."

"Oh." Danielle frowned but nodded in understanding. "It's not hard to see why." She muttered. Steve let out a small satisfactory laugh and Connie shot a look at him then looked back to Danielle.

"I wish I could show you how much he's changed. For me, its hard to believe that he was that jerky pop star. He was so sweet and kind and polite. We've talked a couple of times and he was nothing but nice. A real gentlemen."

"Part of me believes you Connie." Danielle said with a weak smile. "But I'm just one of those people that has to see it to believe it you know? Especially when it comes to something like this. I want to desperately believe Shane has changed but…"

"He has mom." Caley cut in, cutting off her mother. Danielle turned to her inquisitively.

"How do you know sweetheart?"

"Well first of all, from what I know about Mitchie, she would never go for someone like Shane, the way he was." She looked to Connie for a confirmation and Connie gave it to her. "Second, that Shane would never go for a type like Mitchie. Sweet, innocent, nice, you know stuff like that. And thirdly, Mitchie showed me a picture of her and Shane together. He had his smile on, not his fake poster smile; his real, true, smile. Like the one that's hanging up on the fridge in the form of 5th grade Shane."

Connie glanced at Danielle in amusement. Danielle blushed lightly. "Shane looked adorable in 5th grade what can I say?"

Connie laughed. "don't worry, we have a picture of Mitchie now and from when she was in kindergarten. She begs us take it down sometimes, we won't."

Danielle smiled softly and then looked around. She caught sight of the group of four talking in the corner and noticed the absence of one. "Speaking of Mitchie, where is she?"

"Oh she went to Shane's room about half an hour ago." Connie replied.

"Do you want to go with me to check on him?" Danielle asked. "I would like some company?"

"What am I chopped liver?" Caley muttered crossing her arms.

Both women laughed at her and Danielle ruffled her hair. "Of course not sweetie, you know what I meant."

Caley huphed and Connie looked at Danielle. "Of course, I'd love to go with you."

Connie, Danielle and Caley all made their way to Shane's room. Connie and Danielle chatted quietly while Caley followed and listened to them silently.

They got to Shane's room and Danielle knocked on the door. Even though it was her son's room she didn't want to barge in on Mitchie having a moment with Shane by herself. She pushed the door open and walked in slowly, Connie and Caley standing by the door.

She stopped when the bed came in sight and sucked in a breath, feeling warmth fill her heart and a small smile spread across her face. For there in Shane's bed, were both Shane and Mitchie wrapped up in each other's arms, both fast asleep. But what made her happiest of all was the smile on Shane's face. That peaceful smile she had seen on him for years when he slept.

"Connie, Caley come in here." She whispered, motioning for them to come.

"What is it?" Connie asked, sounding alarmed as both she and Caley rushed into the room.

"Shh.." Danielle placed a finger to her lips and pointed at the bed.

Connie and Caley both looked at the bed and smiles lit both their faces.

"That is just too sweet." Connie remarked quietly.

"Now do you believe it mom?" Caley asked. "That Shane's changed?"

"I couldn't be surer." Danielle replied gazing at her son and his girlfriend.

Suddenly they all froze when Mitchie let out a small noise and shifted in the bed. She didn't wake up however only snuggled herself further into Shane's chest. Shane, also in his sleep, moved his arm to get a better grip around her and pulled her closer.

They all let out a breath they didn't realize they were holding and the smiles returned to their faces.

"We should leave them alone." Connie suggested in a whisper. "Before we wake them."

"Good idea." Danielle nodded. They all stole one last look at the adorable couple sleeping on the bed and then quietly headed out of the room. Caley closed the door quietly behind them and went to go catch up with her mother and Connie.

"Your daughter must be something special Connie." Danielle told her with a smile. "To get Shane to change that quickly."

Connie smiled brightly. "I always knew Mitchie would do something to show her wonderful and sparkling personality. To prove to the world how wonderful she was. I had no idea it was going to be changing the 'bad boy' of the press into a love sick teenager."

"Even in his sleep he looks so happy." Danielle remarked. "I wish I could have seen what he was like at Camp."

"You would have been amazed. I know I am."

Danielle smiled at her. "You have to tell me all about it."

Connie laughed, "Okay well…"

Connie went on explaining everything that she had witnessed in Shane while they were at Camp as they headed back to the waiting room.

* * *

Shane slowly awoke a few hours later. He took a breath and let it out with a quiet wince. His whole body felt like it was run over by a tractor and then thrown off a five story building. He felt weak and achy beyond any compare. He tried to move to get into a better position but found something in his way. His eyes blinked open and his eyes settled on an angel sleeping peacefully in his arms.

He smiled softly at her for a few moments and then tightly closed his eyes. He reopened them a few moments later and was relieve to find her still there. He had thought that he had dreamt everything that was in his memory of the recent events. Even Mitchie. But then he reconsidered that. After all how could his twisted up mind think up such a wonderful girl such as the angel in his arms.

But she was there and she was real and she wanted him. He smiled at the thought.

He went to go move his hand and found that his fingers were intertwined with Mitchie's. He slowly lifted their hands up to his lips and kissed her knuckles very softly. He let out a slow breath as he brought their hands back down.

As he lay there he began to observe her. She looked peaceful but yet tortured at the same time. She had a small smile on her face but her body was tense and he could see the tear stains on her cheeks. Her hair was a bit disarrayed but still managed to make her look good. At least in his opinion.

How did he get that lucky? He wondered. How did he get someone who cared about him that much? And who truly and sincerely cared about him? Not like every other girl on the planet who pretended to care just because he was Shane Gray, the super star. Mitchie could care less about Shane Gray, the superstar. She cared for Shane Gray, the person.

He tightened his grip on her hand and moved his arm further around her so he could be as close to her as possible. He didn't want her to go away. He wanted to hold her in his arms for as long as he could, never let her go. Mitchie truly was his angel, she had been sent to him by a higher power to save him from himself. To show him a real reason for living life. To bring him back down to the Earth.

He kept his eyes open and kept a close eye on her as she slept soundly. He feared that if he looked away for a second, she would be gone. All he was living for would be gone.

His Mitchie. His angel. His savior.

His heart started racing, which was made obvious thanks to the heart monitor he was hooked up to, when Mitchie started stirring in his arms. She let out a sleepy moan as she stretched out her body. His heart picked up once again and shivers shot up and down his spine when her foot brushed up against his bare leg.

She titled her head upwards and her eyes slowly opened. They widened and she jumped a little.

Shane furrowed his brow. "Do I really look that bad?"

She cleared her throat a little as her eyes returned back to normal. "No. You startled me. I wasn't expecting you to be awake."

He smirked. "Well it feels like I've slept forever."

She frowned. "You were out for two days." She muttered quietly.

His smirk faded and he reached over to brush the hair out of her face. He pushed a loose strand of her brown hair behind her ear. "Hey, I'm awake now, stop worrying alright?"

"I can't help it." She murmured. Suddenly she sat up as if she was just alerted to something. He raised his eyebrows and watched curiously. She looked over her shoulder and then back at him. "Shane are you feeling alright?"

"As 'alright' as I can be in this situation." He replied. "Why?"

"Your heart rate is faster than it should be." She replied, looking panicked.

The reason why immediately clicked in his mind and he felt his cheeks burn and turn a slight pink. "Yeah, I'm alright. That's not a bad increase." His eyes locked onto hers. "If you catch my drift."

She searched his eyes for a few moments and then her cheeks turned a bright red. "Oh."

He smirked at her. "Yeah. Incase you still didn't believe the effect you have on me, there's your proof." She blushed deeper at that and bit her lip, turning her face away.

"Hey now don't be shy. You're cute when you blush."

He didn't think it was possible but Mitchie turned even redder. He smirked and placed his finger under her chin, tilting her head up. Her eyes met his and she gave him a small smile at the amusement in his eyes.

He suddenly felt a sharp pain in his side and sucked in a breath, clenching his jaw, trying not to make it obvious to Mitchie. However his plan failed. Mitchie's face contorted with worry. "Shane, are you ok?"

He gave her a weak smile as the pain very slowly started to fade. "I'm fine."

She gave him a skeptical look. He knew that she saw the pain in his eyes. She loosened her grip on his hand and started to slide out from under his arm. "I should go get the doctor…"

However he was quick to react and he grabbed hold of her hand and tightened his grip around her, unfortunately causing pain to himself and causing him to wince.

She gave him a look. "Shane, you're in pain you need more pain medicine." She tried once again to wiggle out from under him but he was persistent not to let her go.

He shifted his body closer, biting back the pain, and pulled her against him. "You're the only medicine I'll ever need." He muttered into her ear. It may have been corny but it was also the truth. He felt the pain but it was bearable when Mitchie was around. Just being in her presence helped him a lot.

"Shane." She turned her head to look at him seriously. "Stop pretending to be strong. I can see you're in a lot of pain. And I will not just sit here and let you go through that."

"I'm not pretending to be strong. The pain isn't really that bad when you're here."

She sighed. "Shane I do not want to see you in any pain! I don't want to see you hurting." She shook her head as she got chocked up and tears welled up in her eyes. "I just can't take it. I can't."

Shane rested his hand on the side of her face, wiping away the single tear that fell down her cheek with his thumb. "Mitch, listen to me. I am hurting, yes but its bearable. I don't need pain medication. What I need is you. I just need to hold you, to look at you. To have you here next to me. Please don't cry for me, I'm not worth it." He finished off in a whisper.

She looked at him in alarm. "Shane…"

"I mean, I got shot for a reason didn't I?"

She propped herself up onto her elbow and a dark looked crossed her features. "You got shot because some jerk got drunk and decided to take it out on an innocent boy."

His eyes widened and his face went blank as her words triggered something in his brain. Suddenly all the memories that had been in the dark hit him and flashed through his mind like a movie on fast forward. He saw his attacker, he remembered the pain, he remembered everything.

It took him a few moments to snap out of it and when he did he heard Mitchie calling his name worriedly. He snapped his gaze to her and was met with her concerned face.

"What's wrong?" At the lack of his response, she moved to get off the bed. "I'm getting the doctor."

He grabbed her hand and pulled her back onto the bed. "He wasn't drunk." He finally said his voice distant and cold. He swallowed. "He was perfectly sober."

A look of shock spread across Mitchie's face. Whether for it was the fact that he remembered his attack or the fact that he just revealed, he wasn't sure.

"Who was it?" Mitchie questioned, already 99.9 percent sure of the answer. His eyes grew dark and cold and his jaw clenched and that was all the answer that she needed.

"Why did he do it?" She asked, her voice laced with anger. "Did he say?"

He shook his head. "He wouldn't give me a reason." He bit out through clenched teeth. The pain in his side started to act up again but the anger and hate that raged through him seemed to hide it.

"So he just….shot you?" She chocked out.

He scoffed. "Hardly. He beat the crap out of me first."

She gasped as her eyes widened as tears filled her eyes. "How could anyone do that to their son…" She whispered.

Shane winced at the word and shook his head. "He is not my father. There is no way in hell that man will ever be my father. I'm not his son."

She closed her eyes and snuggled into his chest, letting go of his hand and slipping her arm around him, careful to avoid his wound. "I'm so sorry Shane. I'm so sorry."

Shane took a shuddering breath and tightened his grip around Mitchie. He closed his eyes and rested his head on top of Mitchie's burying his face in her hair, trying to drown out all the pain, mental and physical, by intoxicating himself with his own personal drug. The presence of his angel. His Mitchie. His life.

* * *


	20. Chapter 20

_**A/N: This is the chapter that most of you have been waiting for. Or maybe not. I could be lying… I don't know. You'll have to tell me. It is Shane's attack in FULL detail!**_

* * *

They laid there for what seemed like hours, just wrapped up in each others arms. In fact, Shane had gotten so still, Mitchie was certain he had fallen asleep. Which she was glad for; Shane really did need his rest.

However, when she tried to slip away from him and go tell the others that he had awoken, Shane's grip tightened on her.

"Where are you going?" He asked quietly.

"Nowhere." She responded slipping back into his arms.

She could feel him frown. "Where were you going Mitchie?" He asked sternly.

"I thought you were asleep…" She replied quietly. "I was going to tell everyone that you woke up from your coma."

He huphed quietly and pressed his forehead into her back. She turned her head to look at him. "They're really worried about you Shane."

"You know the last thing I saw before I blacked out was your face."

She sighed in exasperation. He was avoiding the subject. "Shane."

"I thought that was the last time I was ever going to see you." He continued on.

"Shane, why won't you let me tell anyone that you're awake?" she asked with a hint of frustration.

"I don't want them to."

"You don't want them to know?" She asked incredulously. "Why not? Everyone is so worried about you Shane."

Shane closed his eyes and turned his head to look away from her.

"This is about your family isn't it? Your mom and Caley?"

Shane lifted his head and Mitchie met his inquisitive look. "Yes I know your sisters name. She's a very nice girl, we've talked."

He raised one eyebrow.

"About you, yes." Mitchie answered his unasked questioned.

His eyes narrowed slightly and he pursed his lips.

"Shane, they don't hate you. They just want to see you. You have to face them sooner or later."

He huphed. "I choose later." He buried his face in the pillow. Mitchie frowned at his stubbornness and rolled onto her other side to face him.

"Shane." She called out and he let out a soft 'hmmph'.

She made a face. "Shane." She called out again. He finally lifted his head from the pillow but only half his face could be seen.

"What are you so afraid of?" She whispered.

He scoffed, lifting his head completely off the pillow. "I'm not scared."

"Shane." She repeated again giving him an exasperated look.

He sighed heavily. "I just don't want to see anyone right now Mitchie." Before she could say anything else he added. "Except you."

"Why not?" She furrowed her brow.

"I just don't!" He cried and she flinched back at his tone. His eyes widened immediately and he took her into his arms. "I'm sorry Mitchie; I didn't mean to snap at you." He kissed the top of her head softly. "I'm sorry."

She remained quiet as she snuggled up against his chest. She was still a little frustrated with him. She wished she knew what he was thinking. If she was in his position, the first thing she would want to do was see her parents, her friends. But then of course, this was Shane Gray she was with. Everything was unpredictable with him.

"I just…" He sighed. "I don't want to face anything right now. If they all come in here, they'll all be asking me questions about what happened or how I feel or about how everything that happened in the last few years." He shook his head quietly. "I'm tired and I just need comfort. I need you."

"I'm here." She whispered. "Go to sleep if you're tired."

"I'm not that tired." He responded. He let out a breathe. "Just give me a few more hours alone with you and then you can tell them, Okay?"

She looked up at him. "Whenever you're ready Shane. I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"No, you're right Mitch. I can't hide forever. I'm just being selfish and that's who the old Shane was."

She smiled softly as she snuggled back into his chest. "A few hours then."

He nodded against her head.

They both went quiet for a few more minutes until Shane finally spoke up again. "Mitch?"

"Yes?"

"Do you want to know what happened?" He asked in a near whisper.

She lifted her head to look at him with his eyebrows furrowed. "Shane…I know the basics…I don't need to know anymore."

He swallowed hard, his jaw clenching. "I know they'll try to get it out of me sooner or later, I'd rather it be with someone I trust and know rather than some random therapist."

"Shane," She rested her palm on the side of his face, "You don't have to tell me now. Its only been two days."

He closed his eyes and let out a breath. "I'll feel better if I let it out now."

Mitchie stared at him with unsureness's in her eyes, for a few moments and then nodded once. "Only if you're sure."

"I'm sure." He whispered. He cleared his throat and sucked in a breath as he shifted into a sitting position, wincing quietly.

"Careful." Mitchie whispered and he opened his eyes to look at her. There were too many emotions in his eyes and on his face to even pick out one.

"Come here." He ordered nicely. She obliged and pushed herself up into a sitting position and snuggled into his side. He slipped one arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him and his free hand grabbed hers. Their fingers entwined and Mitchie gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

She rested her head on his chest and just waited patiently as he mentally prepared himself for the story he was about to tell. She felt him take a few deep breathes.

"Okay," His voice rumbled in his chest, "About a half an hour after you left, Brown came to me and told me that he was going down the road to drop off something at the bank. So he left and I was left at the camp alone until Jason and Nate could come back with the limo…"

_Shane made his way out of the Camp Rock kitchen with a can of soda in his hand. He had hoped that there was still stuff left in the kitchen after Connie had packed up everything. Unfortunately for him, there was nothing except a box of soda cans. But he was desperate for something so he grabbed the warm soda. _

_He strolled around camp grounds, occasionally sipping his soda. Secretly, although he probably would never tell anyone, he loved nature. Especially at his Uncle's Camp. And that day happened to be a sunny day with just a slight breeze that lifted and carried the scents of nature through the air. _

_It was quiet, which was also nice. Don't get him wrong, he loved the sound of music when there were kids at camp but he also enjoyed the peace and quiet of nature. He could only hear the breeze rustling through the trees and the birds chirping. _

_Once he was done with his soda, he crushed it in his palm and tossed it in the dumpster. Luckily Brown still hadn't emptied it. _

_He passed the mess hall and caught sight of the lone piano sitting in the corner. He smiled and immediately started to whistle the tune to 'This is me'. He continued his journey around camp, smiling at all the places where he and Mitchie had shared a moment. _

_He stopped near the lake for a minute or two, standing in the spot where most of he and Mitchie's meeting had taken place. He shook his head, and made his way back off the dock. "What is wrong with you Shane?" He asked himself. "She's been away from you for 45 minutes and you're acting like you haven't seen her in years." _

_He then headed on back to his cabin to entertain himself until Brown got back. He pushed the door open to his cabin, still whistling 'This Is Me' and headed straight to where his guitar was located. He instinctively reached out for it and his whistle faded when he just grabbed air. He looked around, furring his brow. _

_He spotted his guitar case on the other side of the room and realized he must have put it back without remembering that he did. He walked over to it and picked it up, frowning when he found it empty. He looked around again and let out a breath of confusion. He searched every inch of his cabin, even under his bed and still couldn't find it. _

"_Where did I put that thing?" He muttered to himself and his eyes landed on the bathroom. He highly doubted that it was in there but he looked everywhere else. He went into the bathroom and looked around the toilet and in the shower and still his guitar was nowhere. He crossed his arms and thought about where he might have left it. He was near the mess hall before, so it wasn't there. He was also in the kitchen and didn't see it. The last place it might be is Brown's cabin. _

_He turned to go to Brown's cabin. He walked out of the bathroom and jumped, but instantly his eyes narrowed. "What are you doing here?" He asked coldly. _

_His father rose from his place on Shane's bed, Shane's guitar tucked under his arm with a smirk. Shane immediately took a step back still holding the cold glare. "Brown told me he forbade you from coming back." _

"_I was never a good listener." His father replied, swinging the guitar out in front of him and strummed the strings. _

"_No kidding." Shane growled, not sure whether to be angrier that his father was here or that he was touching his guitar. _

_His eyes snapped up to Shane and his smirk faded. Soundlessly he placed the guitar back on Shane's bed. He took a few steps towards Shane and Shane's body tensed. "We have unfinished business Shane." _

_Shane's eyes narrowed and his glare intensified. "We have no business. We were done with business when you left our family thirteen years ago." _

"_Thirteen, wow, has it really been that long?" _

_Shane growled in response. _

"_You are certainly the angry one Shane. I don't remember you being like this." He smirked. "In fact the last time I left you, you were crying on the floor like a baby." _

_Shane's nostrils flared and his hands clenched into fists at his sides. "I had every reason to, you were abusing me!" He cried. _

"_I would hardly call it abuse…" _

"_I was fourteen!" Shane exclaimed. "I still have a scar on my back from when you threw me up against the wall! You almost killed mom!" _

_A dark look passed his features. "Your mother got what was coming to her." _

"_Mom did nothing!" Shane cried, his voice bouncing off the walls. "You were the one that left us! You were the one that hurt us! Mom had to raise me and my sister all alone, your own BROTHER helped us more than you did!" _

"_Brown is not my brother." _

_Shane rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Your HALF brother, who the hell cares! He's still your brother! And while you were off getting piss drunk and sleeping with who know how many whores, you left us in misery!" _

_Shane felt a sharp gasp pass his lips as a fist collided hard into the side of his face. He immediately felt pain rush from his eye all the way down to his jaw. He closed his eyes tightly, breathing deeply. He slowly turned his head to face forward and opened his eyes, already feeling one starting to swell. His father stood with his fist still raised and Shane shot an intense death glare at him. Shane watched quietly, silently seething, as his father paced over to the right. His father lowered his fist and opened both his palms, urging Shane to come for him. _

_Now without Mitchie or anyone for that matter, around Shane was not afraid to release his anger. He tensed every muscle in his body, crouched to pounce, and then ran at his father his fist raised in the air. _

_His father moved out of the way at just the last minute and Shane's power packed fist went sailing through the glass window. Shane cried out as glass pieces lodged into his knuckles and wrist. He withdrew his hand and shakily removed all the glass pieces, hearing the older man's menacing laugh behind him. He watched as the blood gushed from the cuts on his hand and arm and clenched his jaw at the pain. He balled his good fist up and whirled around, snarling at the man in front of him. _

"_You can't out whit me Shane." _

"_We'll see about that." Shane growled and rushed toward him, moving as fast as his feet could carry him. Which unfortunately wasn't fast enough. Just as he went to jump on him, his father lifted his knee and kneed him right in the groin. _

_Shane cried out and dropped to his knees. Unfortunately the bed got in the way and he slammed his side and his forehead scraped up against the wooden frame. He curled over, rocking back and forth, breathing deeply, and biting down on his lip until it bled. When the pain was just bearable he lifted his head and placed both hands on the ground and attempted to push himself up. Just when he almost his regained his balance, a loud bang filled the room and Shane felt an immense pain in his side. His eyes snapped open and he managed to see his father standing with his arm outstretched a smoking gun in his hand. Shane placed his hand to his side and then took his hand away and looked down at it. His shaking hand was covered in his own blood and once again he collapsed to the ground. However he landed in such a position where his head smacked against the wooden floor and he closed his eyes tightly. _

_He started wheezing and even whimpering. His whole body felt like it was on fire. He laid there, his whole body shaking for what seemed like ever but in reality was only a minute. He finally managed to open his eyes and glanced up at his father. "Why?" He managed to bite out. He swallowed as his vision started to get blurry. "What did I ever do to you?" He whispered. _

_The older man only smirked and lifted his gun, aiming it straight at Shane's head. Shane stared down the barrel of the gun, gasping for breath just waiting for the inevitable. He saw the man's finger twitch on the trigger and Shane closed his eyes tightly. 'Mitchie…' he called out in his mind. He pictured her face in his mind as tears or blood, he wasn't sure which one, trickled down his cheek and neck. _

_In the distance, Shane heard what sounded like car wheels. But it was faint and everything else but his own heart beat was quickly fading in his ears. _

_He heard a small pop and then the scuffling of feet and the closing of a door. He very slowly opened his eyes and twisted his head to the side. Inches away from his head was a bullet hole in the floor. His eyes widened and he laid his head back down and moments later closed his eyes. _

'_Mitchie' he thought again and tried to form the name on his lips. But he couldn't move them. _

"_Shane!" He heard a very faint voice call his name. _

'_Mitchie.' He thought it was. He couldn't distinguish voices. _

"_Shane! SHANE!" _

_He tried to open his eyes but they were too heavy for him to even attempt it. He tried to concentrate on the voice but it just kept slipping away. _

"_Shane! Shane! Shane…shane…….shane……….shane…." _

_He saw Mitchie's face in his mind and he tried to reach out to her. _

"_Shane…" The voice whispered, barely audible, one more time before he completely blacked out. _

The hospital room went deathly quiet. The only sound was Shane's constant heart beat. Both bodies were completely still.

It only took a few more moments, however, before Mitchie's shoulders started to heave and quick, shuddering breaths started to emit from her. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and she soon broke down into sobs.

Shane's eyebrows raised in alarm, although he knew he should have expected this. His tale was not the faint hearted. Not for the delicate ears of his Mitchie. Why, oh why did he tell her?

His arms surrounded Mitchie tightly and he guided her head to rest on his chest. She willingly accepted it and she gripped onto his hospital gown, sobbing in his chest.

He rested his head on top of hers occasionally pressing small kisses to the top of her head. "Shh…" He rubbed her back soothingly. "I'm so sorry Mitchie." He whispered. "I shouldn't have told you, I'm sorry."

She shook her head, still buried in his chest. She cried for only about a minute more until she finally calmed down enough to talk. She lifted her head to look at him, tears still pouring from her eyes. She locked eyes with him and once she caught sight of his black eye and the scratch on his forehead she whimpered and buried her head in the crook of his neck again. "Oh Shane…." She gripped onto his hospital gown so tightly, it just might have ripped. "Shane…" She whispered.

He caught onto what she was thinking and kissed the top of her head multiple times. "Shh Mitchie, its okay, I'm alright. I'm alive, I'm alright."

She shook her head, lifting her head to look at him. "Have you seen yourself?" She asked, whimpering. "You're not alright."

"So I do look that bad?" He asked, cocking one eyebrow, the corners of his lips perking up.

"Shane!" She cried.

He raised both his hands to her face and wiped her tears away with his thumbs. "Mitchie, I got a few bumps and bruises, it's really not as bad as it seems. The only part of my body that hurts right now is my side and I think that comes with the territory."

She subconsciously looked down at his side and let out a tiny gasp when she saw that he was sitting in a very awkward position that could be adding to his pain. She pulled herself out of his arms and sat as far away as she could from him. He furrowed his brow and frowned cocking his head to one side. "What are you doing?"

"Staying away so I don't hurt you." She replied.

He gave her a look. "Mitchie I'm fine."

"You just told me you were in pain."

"Yes, but I also told you that the pain is bearable as long as you're in my arms so get back here."

She shook her head stubbornly. She didn't believe him the first time he told her that and she didn't believe it now. Shane continued to stare at her with that mixed look of desperation and frustration and she turned her face away so she wouldn't give in to him. Before she knew it, she heard the bed squeak under her and Shane's arms wrap around her from behind. She slowly turned back to face him and met his eyes. Like butter in a microwave she melted under the intense gaze of Shane Gray. Shane gently pulled her back down to lay beside him and she went back to cuddling against him.

She felt Shane nuzzle his nose against the side of her face and couldn't help but giggle as his breath tickled her. She felt him smirk and he kissed the side of her face.

She turned her head upwards to look at him and smirked at him. "You are the most stubborn person I have ever met."

He grinned at her and kissed the tip of her nose softly. "But you love me for it."

She smiled back at him, hummed quietly and then tucked her head back into his chest.

Her mind drifted to the story he just told her and everything that happened in the last two days.

"Shane?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you promise me something?"

"Anything."

She swallowed and trailed her finger up and down his arm lightly. "Never leave me."

"Mitchie," He started seriously, "Nothing in the world could take me away from you. Ever."

* * *

_**A/N: Corny? Yes. But Awesome? HELL YES. Next chapter WILL be Shane, Danielle and Caley's confrontation. So please review!**_

_**Okay so let me explain The Gray family tree here. Obviously you are all aware of what Danielle and Caley are. Shane's father (who I just realized I still haven't given a name…any suggestions?) was also obviously once married to Danielle. Shane's father and Brown are half brothers; they have the same mother but not the same father hence the different last names. Also, Brown chose to live with his father in England and would visit the states occasionally throughout his childhood. And then when he reached of age, he moved to the states which is why he still has his strong accent. So there you go. **_


	21. Chapter 21

_**A/N: Another disheartening chapter I'm afraid. I hope enjoy either way. I'm sorry I took so long to update. I created another story (so if you like Twilight go to my page and check it out :D) so I was working on that and I also had no inspiration to write this story. But I finally forced myself cuz of you guys. And for those of you who are waiting for Cyber Trouble…SORRY! I'll try to start writing that again! My last day of school was yesterday and since I'm a senior I have no major exams so im done with school! So hopefully now that its summer I'll be writing more.**_

_**And a special thank you to : **_**failedaborshunn**_** for giving me a name for Shane's father! **_

_**In response to 'Bee's' question: I can understand how you got that confused lol. Shane's father left his family when Shane was five and shane is now eighteen, that's where I got the thirteen years from. But when Shane was 10, his father came back once for a few hours, left again for four years, came back when shane was 14 drunk off his mind and that's when he abused Shane and threw him up against the wall and almost chocked his mother to death. After that time, Shane hadn't seen his father since he was 14 until the time after Final Jam and then of course, the attack. I hope that cleared it up. **_

_**So read and enjoy and don't forget to review!**_

* * *

Just as promised, about an hour later, Shane allowed Mitchie to go and tell everyone his status. He still didn't seem too pleased about it. He would never admit it, but Mitchie knew he was afraid of talking to his mom and his sister. She remembered when they were at camp and he had that meltdown of guilt. He was probably still feeling that way. She didn't blame him though. If she had hurt someone that she loved greatly, she would have trouble facing them.

She kissed his forehead softly and he reluctantly let her go. At the scowl on his face, she gave him a reassuring smile. "Everything will be alright Shane, you'll see."

He huphed and stared intensely at the white wall across from him.

Mitchie didn't know what to think about his attitude. She knew that he changed, there was more than enough proof for that, but right now he was acting like his old, spoiled pop star self. But she also knew that he went through a lot recently and jerky pop star or not, being stubborn was who he was.

And plus, from what she knew of Shane, he didn't like to be secluded to one area so staying in bed for that long must have been killing him.

She gave him a quick kiss to the side of his face, close to his lips but not quite there, before leaving. And she bit back a giggle when she saw his lips curve up in a smile. She thought she might be finally grasping how much of an effect she has on Shane.

On her way to the waiting room to get Danielle and Caley, she stopped off at the bathroom realizing that she hadn't gone in a few hours and her bladder was about to burst.

She exited the bathroom a minute later and headed down to the waiting room. She saw Nate, Jason, Caitlyn, Sierra and even Caley on one side of the room talking and laughing. Her parents and Danielle were on the other side. Connie and Danielle were engaged in conversation while Steve was still watching the game on the TV.

She walked over to the adults to inform Danielle that she could go and talk to Shane. Connie spotted her first, smiled and waved at her daughter. Danielle looked over to where Connie waved and smiled. Mitchie smiled back and walked over to them.

"Hello honey, did you have a nice sleep?" Connie asked, grinning cheekily and Danielle's smile soon matched hers.

Mitchie's eyes widened and she looked between them. "How did you know I was sleeping?"

Danielle chuckled. "We went to check on you and we found you and Shane sleeping."

Mitchie blushed heavily. They saw her and Shane snuggling in each others arms? Mitchie bit her lip and glanced down at the ground, shuffling her feet.

"It's alright sweetie." Danielle replied happily. "You both looked very content."

Mitchie blushed further but glanced up and smiled.

"Do did you want something Mitchie?" Connie asked kindly.

"Oh," Mitchie nodded, remembering the reasons he was out there, "Shane wants to talk to you." She looked at Danielle. "You and Caley."

Danielle looked up in surprise. "He does?"

Mitchie nodded in confirmation. "He does." 'Sort of…'

Danielle rose from her seat next to Connie and nodded. "Thank you." She looked to Connie. "We'll continue talking later."

Connie nodded and smiled. "Alright."

Danielle gave her a small smile and then called Caley over. Caley walked over to her, Danielle explained that Shane wanted to talk to them and then the both of them headed towards Shane's room.

Mitchie watched over her shoulder until they disappeared down the hall. Then she turned to her mother and smiled.

Connie smiled back and then asked, "Are you hungry?"

Mitchie then realized the deep feeling of hunger in the pit of her stomach. She placed her hand over her stomach and nodded. "Starving."

Connie laughed. "Round up everyone else, I'll take you out."

Mitchie nodded and turned to call over to the other side of the room. "Hey guys, we're going out to eat come on!"

Immediately Jason popped up from his seat and raced towards Mitchie, chanting, "Food, food, food, food, food!" Nate rolled his eyes at his behavior, took Caitlyn's hand and followed Jason, while Sierra quietly followed behind them.

Mitchie and Connie both laughed at Jason's excitement over food.

"Alright, lets go everybody." Connie said, waving her hand towards the door. When she was halfway to the door she stopped, frowning. "Oh shoot, I forgot I don't have any way to go any place." She turned to the five teenagers. "I'm sorry guys; I guess we're stuck with hospital food."

There was a collective groan among them but Nate pulled out his cell phone. "No problem Mrs. Torres, I've got it covered." He speed dialed his limo driver and told him to come pick them up at the hospital. After he hung up he turned to Connie with a smile, "All taken care of."

"Thank you Nate." Connie replied with a smile and he nodded.

"Man I love being famous!" Jason exclaimed loudly. That got the attention of the fans in the room who had forgotten both Nate and Jason were there. They all gasped and Nate and Jason's eyes widened. A grin broke across their faces and they all let out a squeal.

"RUN!" Nate and Jason cried as they all jumped out of their seats. Nate, still holding onto Caitlyn's hand ran with Jason, pushing Connie with them for she was in front of them. Mitchie saw Sierra just standing there watching the rabid fan girls rushing at them. She grabbed her best friends hand and tugged her. "Come on Si we have to go!"

Sierra looked at her, her eyes widened and they both took off after Nate and Jason until they all safely reached the limo in the parking lot.

* * *

Danielle and Caley walked down the quiet hallways of the hospital to Shane's room side by side. Neither of them knew what to expect from Shane. Both of them believed he's changed but there was still that doubt.

The last time either of them saw him (outside of the hospital that is…) was nearly a year ago. He didn't come home for the last Christmas or any of the other major family holidays. They weren't too sure what he did in that time considering Nate and Jason went home to their families during that time. But the last time they saw Shane, they didn't leave off at a good note.

Connect 3 took a break from touring to visit their families. It was an order from their manager. Nate and Jason were more than happy to go home and spend a few days with their family. But Shane, it took about five times to explain to him that it was an order and not a request.

Shane was cold the entire stay with his family. Caley, at that time, had heard about her brother's bad attitude but didn't quite believe that he was really like that. She thought it was just an act for the media. But she was in for the surprise of her life when he came home acting mean and so un-Shane like. Danielle welcomed him home with open arms, smiling at the chance to see her son. However, he didn't hug her when he walked in, he barely even said hello. Danielle dismissed it as being tired though. Caley ran down the stairs to greet her brother. She threw her arms around him and told him she missed him. His only response was "Get off" and he pushed her off, heading up to his room. And that's where he stayed for most of his visit. They managed to get him down for one family meal together but it wasn't the same. Without Shane smiling and laughing with them it would never be the same. Shane barely interacted with them that night and would answer their questions with snide remarks. He seemed impatient as if he had somewhere better he needed to be.

It was on the last day that he was there, right before he left that they had the big falling out. Danielle decided to tell Shane that she wasn't too happy about his attitude and this was not who he was. Shane rolled his eyes and dismissed it mostly. It wasn't until she kept going and going that he finally snapped. He told her (more like yelled at her) that he was forced to come there by his manager and that if he didn't, he'd be kicked out of the band. He told her that he didn't need her or Caley or anybody else. He said he was 'Shane Gray for crying out loud' and he didn't have to be in that stupid little town. He seemed completely unfazed by the shocked look on her face and the tears in her eyes. He stormed past her and out the door towards his limo.

From that day on, Danielle and Caley had not heard from him only on the news reports. Danielle couldn't stop watching them whenever they were on. Caley was bitterer though and either turned off the TV or walked out of the room whenever a news report came on about something else he did. She banned her Connect 3 obsessed friends from talking about him when they were in her presence and took down every picture she had of him in her room.

However, no matter how hurt and how angry they were at Shane, the minute they got that phone call from a hysterical Brown saying Shane was shot and being rushed to the hospital, they burst into tears.

Danielle had to force back tears at the memories. She took a deep breath and Caley looked up at her. "Mom?" She asked quietly.

Danielle looked down at her and gave her a reassuring smile. She placed her arm around her shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

They came to Shane's room and stood in front of the closed door. "Are you ready?" Danielle asked her.

Caley nodded. "I'm ready." She replied quietly.

Danielle nodded and knocked on the door to alert Shane to their presence and then opened the door. They both walked in until they could see Shane in the bed. He was sitting up in the bed and staring right at them. From the last time they saw him the day before, he had a bit more color in his face but the bruises on his face still made him look miserable.

The three of them stared at each other in silence, no one knowing what to say. Even with the bruises and cuts all over his face, there was something different in his eyes and the expression on his face then when they saw him a year ago. He was frowning but it wasn't the cold frown they last saw on him. He looked like he was struggling within himself. It was a mixture between guilt, pain and sadness.

Caley wanted to be mad at him for what he did to her and their mother a year ago but just seeing him alive made her forget about that. In that instant, he was not the jerky pop star that was mean and cold to her, he was her older brother who would comfort her when she was down, who would play dolls with her when she was bored, who would help her with her homework, who started to teach her to play the guitar and the piano, and who would sing stupid kiddie songs with her. Tears welled up in her eyes and she ran toward his bed.

She hopped on the bed next to him and threw her arms around him gently. Shane looked surprised to say the least but his arms immediately surrounded her and held her tightly. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against her shoulder. Caley buried her head in the crook of his neck and cried into him.

After about a minute, Caley pulled away and looked down at Shane. His eyes opened and met hers. Caley's eyes were bloodshot from crying and she noticed that Shane's eyes were glossed over. She had only ever seen Shane cry once and that was the time their father abused him.

Shane reached up and wiped away her tears with his thumbs. Her lip quivered at that because that's what he used to do all the time whenever she cried.

Danielle walked up to the other side of her bed and Shane turned his gaze from Caley to her. Caley turned her head to also look at her mother. She realized then that she was still on Shane, so she moved off of him to sit next to him.

Danielle looked like she wanted to move closer but there was something holding her back. Like at any moment, Shane would snap at say he didn't want her any where near him.

"How are you feeling Shane?" Danielle asked awkwardly. She felt horrible that she had to be awkward around her own son, afraid of what he might do.

Shane winced at the tone of her voice. He saw her hesitating to go near him. That alone hurt more than the wound in his side did. Knowing that he caused that, he got his own mother to be afraid of him, hurt him so bad.

"Alright." He replied with a light shrug. "In a little pain but it's not bad."

Danielle nodded. "That's good." She answered quietly. She stared at him for a few moments and then looked down at the ground.

Shane looked at Caley, she looked back at him. He couldn't read the expression on her face. He frowned further and looked back at his mother. It was now or never.

"Mom?"

Danielle glanced up at him. "Yes sweetie?" She asked quietly and innocently. Another stab at his heart. That was how most of the people who he forced to wait on him talked to him so he wouldn't get angry at them.

"I'm sorry." His voice cracked with emotion.

"Shane-"

"No," He cut her off kindly, "Please, let me talk." He swallowed. "I'm so sorry mom. I'm sorry to both of you. But there aren't enough sorry's to excuse what I did to you. I was a monster, a horrible, horrible monster. You don't know how guilty I am for everything I've done and everything I've said. I can't believe everything I've done to hurt the people around me. Especially you two. You are my family; you've done nothing to me except love me. And I turn around you and stab you in the back, treating you like…dirt. No one deserves the way I talked to the world the past two years, especially not you." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "I feel like such a horrible person. I wish I could go back and take back every hurtful thing I've said and done to you. I know that what I said to you will be embedded into your brain forever because it will forever be embedded into mine." His voice cracked again as a single tear rolled down his cheek. "I want you to know that none of it is true. Nothing of what I said to you is true. You're my family, and I love and need you in my life." He took a shuddering breath. "I wouldn't blame you if you hated me, I wouldn't blame you if you didn't forgive me because I will never forgive myself." He let out a breath as he shook his head. "I'm sorry." He whispered. "I'm so, so sorry."

The next thing he knew he felt the familiar, warm embrace of his mothers arms. He sat up more so he could hug her back and she sat down on the bed next to him to get into a more comfortable position. He let his ego and his male pride go and let himself melt in his mother's arms. He felt like a five year old who just scraped his knee and was sitting on his mother's lap as she rocked him back and forth to calm him down. Except he was an eighteen year old boy who made a huge mistake by breaking his mother's heart instead of making her proud like he should have been. But he would beg on his knees to get her forgiveness, to get both of their forgiveness.

He rested his head on her shoulder and felt her rubbing his back. No, he told himself, that wasn't right. She shouldn't be the one comforting him. HE hurt HER. He pulled back and stared at her. He didn't need a mirror to know that look on his face was absolutely pathetic. "Mom."

"Shh…" She gave him a tearful smile. He noticed then that tears were pouring down her cheeks. Another painful surge coursed through his heart when he saw another picture of her tear stained face in his mind of when he last saw her in person. "It's alright Shane."

Shane furrowed his brow and shook his head. "No, its not. Its not." He closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Shane, honey, look at me." The mothering tone in her voice just made him want to listen and he opened his eyes again to look at her. She placed her hands on either side of his face and wiped away tears that he didn't even know were there. "Shane, you made a mistake. A really big mistake but that's okay you're only human. And you're right, you did hurt us very much but we're family. You're my son, you're Caley's big brother, we're going to love you no matter what. Especially when you're so obviously sincerely apologetic. I've heard from Mitchie, Connie, Brown and I see it in your eyes, Shane, you've changed. You're not that jerky Pop Star anymore. We have no reason to be mad at you for the things you've done in the past."

"You have every reason." Shane answered stubbornly.

She smiled softly and shook her head. "No we don't. Shane, if it had been any time else, it probably would have taken us a little bit longer to forgive you but given the circumstances…sweetie, we're just glad to have you alive. If we lost you, jerky pop star or not, we would have been devastated. You are my only son, my first born and I love you so much." She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"Yeah Shane." Caley agreed. "I was mad at you last week but I can't be mad at you now." She laid down next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm so glad to see you alive and now that you're back to being your old self, there's no reason to be mad at you."

Shane looked at both his mother and his sister a few times. "So…you guys really forgive me? You don't have any hard feelings at all?"

Danielle shook her head. "None." She and Shane both looked at Caley and she nodded once to say she agreed with her mother. Shane looked back at Danielle and she gave him a smile. "As long as you don't pull anything like that ever again…"

Shane shook his head and replied seriously, "Never. I will never go back to being that jerk. The real Shane Gray is back and here to stay."

"Good." Danielle replied happily. "I'm very glad to hear that."

"I've missed you Shane." Caley said as she snuggled into her brothers side.

Shane looked down at her and gave a weak smile. "Don't worry Cal, I promise you'll hear from me a whole lot more. I'll visit whenever I can."

"Well I don't think you'll be going on tour for quite a while." Danielle gave him a pointed look and as if on cue a sharp pain shot through Shane's side. He winced, closing his eyes and he clenched his jaw. He let out a breath, waiting for the pain to pass and then opened his eyes once it faded. He saw Caley and Danielle staring at him in concern and he offered them a small smile.

"I think you're right."

"You still have no idea who did this to you?" Danielle asked quietly.

A dark looked crossed Shane's features and he scowled. "I know very well who did this to me." He replied coldly.

Danielle's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You remember? Who? Who Shane?"

Shane took a breath and clenched his jaw and his fist. He stared at the foot of his bed hardly for a few moments before turning his gaze to his mother. "Shawn."

A look of shock and horror crossed Danielle's face. Her face went pale white and she gripped the sheets. "Shawn?" She whispered. "_THE_ Shawn?"

Shane nodded once and Danielle's hand flew to her mouth as tears sprung to her eyes. "Oh My God…" She whispered. "Shane." She shook her head and took her son into another hug. "Shane Oh My God…" She kissed the side of his head. "You must have been traumatized oh my baby I'm so sorry."

Shane rested his head against his mothers shoulder as he stared off at the wall. He caught sight of Caley looking at them with a mixture of concern and confusion. He figured he must not know him by his first name. His mother never talked about him and the only reason Shane knew his first name was Brown talked about him sometimes and he saw their wedding album with their marriage certificate before their mother hid it in a locked chest.

Caley gave Shane and their mother a few more minutes of silence before she asked, "Mom, whose Shawn?"

Danielle pulled away from Shane, wiping her eyes and sniffling softly. She looked at her daughter and then looked at Shane.

"Tell her mom, she should know."

Danielle nodded and let out a breath. "Shawn is…he's…he's your father." She finished in a whisper.

Caley gasped and her eyes went wide. "Our father…our father did this to Shane?"

"Yes he did." Shane answered.

Caley whimpered quietly. "Why?"

Danielle looked at Shane. He was the only one who could answer that question. Shane shrugged. "I have no idea….he didn't say."

"So he just…shot you?" Danielle asked her voice breaking as Caley let out another whimper. Shane grabbed her hand and held it gently.

"No." Shane replied. "He beat me up first. I don't know why…I tried to fight back but he…got me in a weak spot and that's when he…"

Danielle shook her head, fury crossing her features. "Unbelievable, that man is unbelievable." She got off the bed. "I'm going to call the police. I'm going to have that man locked in jail if it's the last thing I do." She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and stared out the room, dialing the number.

"Mom!" Shane tried to call after her in protest but she was already out of the room. Shane sighed heavily. He did want Shawn locked up in jail but he didn't want to talk to the police. Not when he felt so weak and vulnerable.

Shane looked at Caley and saw that tears were threatening to fall out of her eyes. "Cal." He called and held his arms open. She looked over at him and immediately went into his arms. She rested her head against his chest and he rested his head on top of hers. He felt her tears soaking through his hospital gown and to his chest but he didn't care. He wanted to take himself, Caley and everyone he cared about out of this hellish nightmare.

But it wasn't a nightmare.

This was real.

This was his life.

* * *


	22. Chapter 22

_**A/N: Hello Everybody! Sorry I haven't been around I just graduated high school and I've had my prom and graduation parties and everything. But I also got a laptop as a present! YAY! So now I have my own computer. No more sharing muhahahaha! **_

_**And as per request from most of you this chapter will be mostly Smitchie fluff with a cute little Brown/Shane fatherly/son moment.

* * *

**_

The Police arrived at the hospital within minutes but didn't stay long. And that was because Shane refused to say much. He told them the basics but wouldn't go into detail. He knew that the police were just there to help but he didn't talk to anyone he didn't want to. He had told his story to Mitchie and that was good enough for him. He told the police his fathers name and that he was the one who put him in the hospital.

"He beat the crap outta me and then shot me." Shane told them after they kept badgering him to get more information.

"Why?" They asked him.

"I don't know." Shane replied monotonously with a hint of annoyance. He had been asked that question so many times in the past few days, he couldn't stand it. He knew that no one knew what happened to him and were just trying to figure it out and he knew he should have some patience but he didn't. He just wanted to be left alone. Apart from Mitchie that is. She wouldn't ask him anything she knew he didn't want to talk about. That's what he liked her that she waited until he was ready to talk about things instead of prodding him for answers like the police men were doing now.

Fortunately, Danielle sensed Shane's annoyance and so she ushered the police men out of the room to talk to them herself. At the look on her face Shane knew that Danielle was still hesitant about his attitude. He knew he looked ready to snap and he just might have. And hopefully everyone can understand his line of reason. If they waited a few more days, he might have been more reasonable. But right then he didn't want to talk about anything with anyone he didn't know. Besides, all they really needed to know was who did it and what they did. He told them that but they wanted details. He wasn't willing to give that.

The police met Brown outside and questioned him for a while. Brown revealed that he had no idea who had done it but wasn't shocked when he found out who it was. He told the police his side of the story of how he found Shane in the cabin in a puddle of his own blood. He also told them that after the ambulance took Shane off, he searched every inch of the camp grounds and couldn't find any evidence that Shane's attacker was there.

The police wanted to talk to Shane somemore, giving the reason that he was the only one who knew who did it and they needed to find out more information. But Danielle convinced them to come back a few days later because Shane was in no mood to talk to anybody.

After they left, Brown came into the room and Caley, who was still on Shane's bed next to him, left to give the two men some privacy. Shane watched Brown quietly as he walked into the room and stood next to his bed.

Shane observed his uncle, he had never seen him the way he looked before. He looked tired and tortured. Worry lines crossed his forehead and a frown formed his lips. His eyes were dull and distant. The man before him was not the Brown he was used to seeing. He opened his mouth to ask him if he was alright but Brown beat him to it.

"Are you alright?" His voice even seemed off to Shane.

Shane nodded. "I'll be alright."

Brown looked over to him and his eyes met Shane's. "But are you alright _now_?"

"A little annoyed but other than that..." he replied with a smirk.

"Shane." Brown cast a look at him.

"I'm fine Uncle Brown." Shane reassured him.

Brown sighed quietly, ran his hand through his short dirty blonde hair and took a seat on a chair next to Shane's bed. Shane turned his head to look at him with a concerned look.

"Are _you_ alright? You don't look so good." Shane asked him.

"I'm so sorry Shane." He said after a few moments of silence. His voice was broken and laced with guilt.

"Uncle Brown it's not your fault."

"I never should have let him on the property." Brown shook his head.

"You didn't. You forbade him from coming back but he went against you and came back anyway. You had no idea."

Brown looked up and gave him a guilty look. Shane's eyes widened slightly. "What are you not telling me?" Shane asked slowly.

"The night of Final Jam...I saw him come in but I just left him...I didn't think he would do any damage." He shook his head and glanced at the ground. "I should have kicked him out right then and there before he had a chance to even see you."

Shane's eyebrows furrowed as he stared at his uncle. He didn't know what to say to that. It wasn't as bad as Shane thought it was going to be. But Shane realized that he didn't blame Brown for what happened. He didn't know what Shawn was going to do, the night of Final Jam he seemed innocent enough. Shane even believed him when he said "I just want to talk Shane." Brown had no idea, no one had any idea, that Shawn had murderous thoughts in his head.

"Uncle Brown...you had no idea that he was going to hurt me." Shane spoke.

"I should have known." Brown replied. "I should've seen it. I should've been there to protect you."

Shane narrowed his eyes and frowned. "No, you would have gotten hurt too."

Brown lifted his head and stared at Shane. "I would risk my life for you any day. For all intents and purposes you _are_ my son."

"Brown..."

"You don't know what it was like for me Shane." Brown whispered turning his gaze to the wall across the way. "To find you like that. For the first time in my life I was bloody scared out of my mind." He ran his hand through his hair again and let out a breath shaking his head. "I thought you were dead." He whispered. "I thought I had lost you."

Shane frowned as he watched the man he looked up to collapse before his eyes. Brown buried his head in his hands and hunched over. Shane sucked in a breath and pushed the covers off of him. As quietly as he could he sat up and twisted his body around so his legs were hanging off the side of the bed. He felt the sharp pain in his side but he ignored and pushed himself onto his feet. His leg muscles were weak from not being on them the last two days but he managed to keep himself up. He hobbled his way over to Brown and took his uncle in a hug. Brown jumped when he felt Shane's arms go around and turned his head to look at him. "Shane." He said in shock and worry.

"I'm alright Uncle Brown." Shane whispered. "I'm alive. I'm here."

Brown finally gave in and returned the hug. But when he brushed his hand against Shane's side, Shane let out a wince and Brown immediately withdrew. "Shane, get back in bed."

Shane gave him an exasperated look. "Uncle Brown..."

Brown pointed over to the bed with a serious expression on his face. "Bed. Now Shane."

Shane scowled and hobbled back over to his bed and crawled back onto it. He inhaled deeply when an agonizing pain ripped through his side and crawled its way to even his back. He closed his eyes tightly and breathed deeply waiting for the pain to go away. When it faded he laid back down slowly. He turned to look at Brown and saw him giving a knowing look. Shane's scowl faded and he knew that Brown was only trying to look out for him. Brown knew that Shane wasn't ready to get out of bed yet and the pain in his side proved that.

"You sure you're alright Shane?" Brown asked as he got up from his seat to walk over to his bedside.

Shane nodded. "The pain only comes if I move too much." He made a face. "Which really sucks because I won't be able to perform for a while."

"I'm sure your fans will understand."

"Oh sure _they_ will. But what am I supposed to do? For the last three years performing has been my life. Who knows how long this will take to recover." Shane huphed crossing his arms over his chest.

Brown's lips twitched up in a small smirk. "I'm sure you'll think of something mate."

"I'm not staying in bed all day." He pointed at him. "No way in hell."

"Shane." Brown sighed, his smirk fading. "You won't get any better if you keep putting stress on yourself."

"Stress? I'm not going to go bunjee jumping for heavens sake I just don't want to be in a bed all day. You know me Uncle Brown, I'd go crazy." Shane explained.

"I'll talk to your mother about it." Brown commented and Shane pursed his lips.

Shane was about to say something when a knock sounded at the door. Shane at first thought it was the police who had come back and almost growled. However his whole demeanor changed when a familiar shy looking brunette entered the room. He couldn't stop, nor did he want to stop, the smile that spread across his face when he saw her. True he only saw her just a couple of hours ago but he missed her. Brown also turned to look at her and she paused where she was standing. She looked embarrased as she looked between Shane and his uncle. "Oh I-I'm sorry. I'll come back later."

She was about to turn to leave when Brown held out his hand to stop her. "No that's alright, I was just leaving."

Mitchie stopped where she was and turned back to look back at Shane with a smile. Brown turned to Shane and placed his hand on his shoulder. "Take it easy son." He whispered to him and Shane rolled his eyes. Both of them smirked and Brown patted his shoulder before heading out. When he passed Mitchie, he gave her a small smile and then walked out of the room. Mitchie watched Brown as he left the room and then she turned back to Shane.

Shane held his arms out for her and she immediately ran to him. She crawled onto the bed next to him and snuggled into his arms. She rested her head on his chest as his arms surrounded her.

"So how did it go?" She asked him, drawing circles on his chest lightly.

"With my mother and Cal? Not bad. They forgive me." He felt her smirk against his chest. "Like you told me." He added and Mitchie giggled.

"The police were here though." Shane grumbled and Mitchie lifted her head to give him an inquisitive stare.

"Really?"

Shane nodded. "My mom called them after I told them who did this to me. They were questioning me and everything, they're trying to find Shawn."

"Shawn?" Mitchie asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"My so-called father." Shane replied.

"Oh." She muttered quietly.

"Yeah." Shane nodded.

"I hope they find him." Mitchie said resting her head back on his chest. "I hope he goes to jail forever."

Shane tightened his grip on Mitchie and kissed the top of her head. "Me too." He whispered.

After a few minutes of silence, Mitchie turned her head to look at Shane. "Guess what?"

"What?"

"Your mom said I could stay with you for the night." Mitchie answered with a smile.

Shane's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Seriously? Wait, what time is it?"

"It's about 8:30." Mitchie replied.

"And your mom is fine with it?"

Mitchie nodded. "She trusts us." She pursed her lips. "My dad on the other hand..."

Shane furrowed his brow. "He doesn't like me too much does he?"

Mitchie made a face. "He said he would give you a chance..."

"But he doesn't like me." Shane repeated.

"He just hasn't gotten the chance to know you yet. All he knows is the Shane that was on the news...he just doesn't want his "baby girl" with a "Bad boy". And staying all alone with him over night." She gasped enthusiastically. "Horrible!"

Shane smirked and chuckled kissing the top of her head. "All beware big bad Shane Gray."

Mitchie gasped as her eyes widened in fake horror. "Oh no! Someone help me!"

Shane smirked evilly. "Uh oh, the beast has been unleashed."

"No!" Mitchie exclaimed softly.

"Here he comes!" Shane growled and started attacking Mitchie's side with his fingers. Mitchie squealed and started to writhe around the bed. "SHANE!" She squeaked.

Shane grinned and continued to tickle her. "You will not escape the beast!"

Mitchie laughed hysterically as she wriggled around under his grasp. "S-shane...s-stop!"

"I will never stop." He laughed evilly. "You cannot escape me!"

Mitchie continued to laugh as he grinned over her. She tried to push his hands away but that didn't work. So to get him to stop she reached up and grabbed the sides of his face and brought his lips down to meet hers. Immediately Shane stopped and instead his hands just fell flat against her sides as he responded to the kiss.

Shane growled quietly when Mitchie started to pull away. Mitchie giggled and pressed her lips to his again. Her hands trailed down his neck and finally settled on his chest.

After they parted Shane rested his head forehead against Mitchie's and they both had happy smiles on their faces. "Hmm." Shane hummed contentedly. "You found the beast's weakness."

"And what would that be?"

He smirked and kissed her quickly. "The beauty in his arms." He murmered against her lips.

Mitchie laughed as she snuggled into him. "Making a _Beauty and The Beast _reference are we?"

He chuckled and tightened his arms around her. "We are." He nuzzled his nose into the side of her face. "Tale as old as time." He whispered into her ear.

She smiled. "True as it can be."

"_Barely even friends..."_ He trailed off in song.

"_Then somebody bends..." _She continued.

"_Unexpectedly." _They both continued.

"_Just a little change..." _Mitchie sang quietly, playing with Shane's fingers.

"_Small to say the least..."_ Shane continued.

"_Both a little scared, neither one prepared, Beauty and The Beast." _They finished together.

Mitchie smiled and turned to face him. "Except there's something wrong with that comparison."

"Oh?"

"Mm hmm." Mitchie nodded smiling up at him. "You are not a beast."

"I was." Shane responded. "Until I found you."

Mitchie gave him a look.

"It's true!" Shane exclaimed. "You look at those lyrics most of them fit our situation. As well as other songs from that movie."

"Oh, like what?"

"Like..._there's something sweet, and almost kind, but he was mean and he was coarse and unrefined. And now he's dear and so I'm sure, I wonder why I didn't see it there before." _He sang in a girl's octave and Mitchie laughed at his voice.

"You do have a point there." Mitchie laughed. "However the next verse to that song doesn't fit very well at all." She giggled and tapped his nose with her finger. "You don't have paws."

Shane rolled his eyes. "You get what I mean."

Mitchie smirked and nodded. "I do. But I still don't think you're a beast, or was."

Shane shrugged. "I was close enough."

Mitchie frowned and rested her head back on his chest. She took his hand in hers and examined every inch of the skin on his hand. She ran her fingers gently over the scabbed wounds on his knuckles and the back of his hand. She flipped over his hand so his palm was facing upwards and traced every line in his skin. She ran her fingers over the calloused skin on the tips of his fingers from playing the guitar for so many years. His skin was still tinted a slight tan even though he hadn't been out in the sun for two days. She trailed the tip of her finger down his palm and down his wrist until she reached the bandage that was around it. She very lightly brushed her fingers against it as she listened to his heart beating.

"Having fun?" Shane asked with a hint of humor in his voice, his voice resonating through his chest making it vibrate.

Mitchie's breath caught in her chest at the feeling. She had felt that feeling, resting on her father's and grandfathers' chests when she was little but it was different with Shane. Half of the female population would kill to get where she was, so close to Shane that she could feel his chest vibrating when he spoke. Holding his hand, having his arm wrapped tightly around them. Having him kiss the top of their head, like he just did to her. To feel his hot breath against the top of their head. Hell they would even kill to be in the same room with him to see him in his vulnerable state. But Shane would never in a million years allow that. He hated feeling weak and having his fans see him like that would be torture for him.

"Breathe, Mitchie, Breathe." He instructed, his voice laughing.

Mitchie let out the breath she didn't realize she was still holding and smiled shyly. "I love your hands." She answered his question from before sheepishly.

"You love my hands?" Shane asked humorously. "Might I ask why?"

Mitchie blushed and buried her face in his chest.

"Mitch?" He questioned.

She mumbled something indecipherable into his chest, shaking her head back and forth.

"It can't be that bad. There's not really a bad reason to love someone's hands." He pointed out. She lifted her head and gave him a soft glare and he laughed at her.

"I'm just curious Mitch. You're the one who said you loved my hands."

Mitchie sighed. "Fine. I love your hands because they're beautiful."

An odd look crossed his face. "Thank you?"

Mitchie pouted and blushed heavily, burying her face back into his chest. Shane laughed and rubbed her back gently. "Oh Mitchie come on, I'm just not used to getting that type of compliment."

Mitchie huphed as she stayed buried in his chest.

"I think you're hands are beautiful too."

Mitchie slapped his chest lightly and sat up, crossing her arms, staring in the opposite direction. "Now you're just mocking me."

Shane shook his head as he sat up slowly and looked at her. "No I'm not." He took her hand in his and caressed her hand softly. "I love the way your hands fit so naturally with mine." He entwined her fingers with his and held them in front of them to show off. "It's like they were made to fit together."

Mitchie stared at the wall for a few seconds and then slowly turned to look at him with a small smile on her face. A smile was also on Shane's face and his eyes were lit up.

Mitchie rested back against his shoulder. "I love your hands because they're musicians hands. Your fingers are calloused from playing the guitar for so long and they're also nice and long which is perfect for playing the piano and for the guitar as well. And even covered in bruises and scabs they still look...perfect."

Shane pulled her back down to lay down next to him and wrapped his arms around her, smiling down at her adoringly. "You are so full of surprises you know that?"

Mitchie smiled up at him sheepishly.

Shane chuckled and kissed her forehead softly. Mitchie snuggled into his side and hummed contentedly. Shane let out a yawn and all of a sudden felt his eyelids droop. An unusual tiredness filled his body. It was unusual because Shane could usually go more than 24 hours without sleep and he slept alot that day and it wasn't even nine o'clock yet and he felt exhausted.

But he didn't want to go to sleep. Not when his Mitchie was in his arms. Not when he could spend all night watching her. He wouldn't even care if they didn't say another word the rest of the night he would just be content to watch her.

But Mitchie had other plans for him. She had apparently heard his yawn and turned to face him.

She did notice that his eyelids were drooping and a tired smile formed his lips. "Go to sleep Shane." She whispered.

Shane shook his head. "I don't wanna." He whined.

Mitchie smirked and placed her hand on the side of his face. "I'll be right here when you wake up I promise."

Shane fought against his eyes fluttering closed. His body wanted to sleep but his mind didn't. He tried fighting off his body for a good minute but then it won him over. He closed his eyes and relaxed. He felt Mitchie kiss his cheek softly and then nuzzle her nose into his neck. He gently pulled her closer and buried his face in her hair.

"Goodnight Shane." He heard her whisper. And it could have been his imagination, as he was already half asleep, but he could have sworn he heard her whisper, "I love you..."

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_**A/N: :D tell me what you think? Did Mitchie really say the 'L' word or was it just Shane's imagination? More Smitchie fluff next chapter!**_


	23. Chapter 23

_**A/N: So I have a bit of fluff and drama in this chapter cuz I got requests for both!!

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Shane woke up the next morning to a bright, blinding light. He closed his eyes to shield his eyes from the light and reached over to the spot next to him. He frowned when he found it empty and slowly opened his eyes again. He found the source of light to be the window with the shades pulled back. He also found, much to his dismay, the spot next to him where Mitchie was just the night before to be vacant. He could still see the indent of where her body was and it was still a little warm which meant she must have left not too long ago.

His dreams were good that night, unlike the last few nights which were mostly about his attack. He thought, no he knew, that it was due to Mitchie being next to him. And he was hoping to wake up to see her right next to him.

He turned his head to look at the time, saw that it was a quarter past nine, and also noticed a piece of paper laying on the table. He furrowed his brow and reached across to grab it.

**Shane**

**If you're reading this it means you woke up before I got back. Sorry to leave you, I just went to get some breakfast. I hope you don't mind. I'll be back soon. **

**Mitchie**

Shane smiled and ran his fingers over Mitchie's handwriting. He placed the note back on the table and rested back into his pillow.

Thoughts of Mitchie brought back thoughts of last night. And to the last words he heard her utter before he fell asleep. 'I love you...'

His heart fluttered at the thought. He had other girls tell him they loved him before and he returned the words back to them. But they held no meaning. When he said it to them, it was just something to say. Like a greeting. 'Hello, goodbye, I love you.' But with Mitchie, that was a whole different game. Now the words actually meant something. They were to be taken seriously, not just something to throw around. And no girl when they said 'I love you' EVER made him feel like this. And just thinking about Mitchie telling him she loved him had his heart doing flips.

He carefully rolled over onto his side and smiled goofily. He looked out the window and stared out into the beautifully sunny day. He watched as a little bird landed on the window sill. The little bird hopped around, occasionally flapping its wings. Just then another bird landed next to that bird. The other turned to the one that just landed and hopped towards it. The two birds nuzzled each others beaks and the male let out a few chirps as if singing.

"I know how you feel buddy." Shane said with a small smile.

The female chirped back, they both nuzzled again and both flew off into the sunlight.

Just then, Shane heard a knock on his door and smirked. "Mitchie you don't have to knock."

There was no response but he heard footsteps. Shane turned and lifted his head to see, the smile still on his face.

He dropped that smile so fast it was almost as if no movement had been made and his blood chilled. He felt horror and anger race through him and his heart stopped for a second and then piked.

"Hello Shane." The horribly familiar man said from the doorway.

A dark look crossed Shane's features, darker than it had ever been before. "What. Are. You. Doing. Here?" Shane asked slowly, his voice laced with pure loathing.

"I came to see if you were alright." Shawn answered as if it were totally obvious.

Shane scoffed harshly. "_You_ came to see if _I_ was alright? You're the one who did this to me!"

Shawn took a step forward. "Shane I'm so-"

"Don't you _DARE _say you're sorry!" Shane roared, his heart rate spiking as he shot up into a sitting position.

"Shane, you have to understand-"

"I have to understand?!" Shane cried incredulously. "You tried to _kill me_!"

"Shane be reasonable."

Shane's eyes flashed with rage. "Be reasonable? BE REASONABLE?!" He growled. "You took out a gun and SHOT me! I know you were going to finish me off if Brown hadn't come back. You pointed the damn gun at my head!"

Shawn sighed running his fingers through his dark hair. "I...wasn't in the right frame of mind."

"Like hell you weren't!" Shane cried, keeping his death glare on him. "I know when somebody is drunk. You were drunk the last time you tried to abuse me but not this time. No freakin way. You were damn clean as whistle."

"You're my son-" Shawn started.

"I AM NOT YOUR SON!" Shane bellowed, his lips curling upwards in a snarl. "A father would not put his son in the hospital!"

"Accidents happen."

Shane felt a whole new rush of dark emotions flood him. "Accidents?" He whispered harshly. He gripped the bed sheets and shoved them off of him. He jumped to his feet, ignoring the pain in his side. The pain was nothing compared to the anger and hatred he felt towards the man in front of him.

He took a few steps toward him, realized the IV in his arm was holding him back and ripped it out of his arm as well as the other wires that he was attached to. As soon as he detatched the wires from him, the heart monitor flat lined and the other machines started beeping like crazy. He ignored them however and turned his furious gaze to Shawn and stormed over to him.

"This was no accident." He hissed. "It's not an accident when you purposely hurt them!"

"Shane," Shawn sounded exasperated. "Get back in bed." His words mirrored the ones that came from Brown just the day before. But there was no way in hell Shane was listening to Shawn.

"No." He growled.

"Shane, you don't want to hurt yourself." Shawn stated calmly, actually looking as if he was concerned.

"As if you actually give a damn if I'm hurt or not!" Shane cried and pointed sharply over to the window. "I could probably jump out of that window right now and you'd probably go throw a party!"

Shawn furrowed his brow. "That's ridiculous."

"As compared to shooting your own son because no, that's not ridiculous at all!" Shane exclaimed.

"Shane...calm down."

"Don't you tell me to calm down!" Shane thundered.

"You're hurt Shane."

"And whose fault is that?!!"

"I came here to apologize but you're not letting me!"

Shane narrowed his eyes and bawled his hands into fists at his sides. "Get out." He hissed darkly.

Shawn made a face but didn't budge. Shane took a step towards him and stared him directly in the eyes. "Get out." He repeated.

Again Shawn didn't move.

Shane growled and shoved his chest. "Get the hell out of here!" He snarled. "Get the hell out of here! Get the hell out of my life! Just GET OUT!" With every phrase he kept pushing him towards the door and Shawn let him.

When he was halfway out the door, Shane glared at him, breathing deeply. Shawn stared at him and then nodded, turning and walking down the hallway until he disappeared.

Shane stood there for a few moments, breathing heavily, his hands still clenched at his sides. After he calmed down just a little, he went to turn back to bed. But as soon as he took a step towards his bed a searing pain shot through his side. He cried out and bit his lip, wrapping his arms around his middle. He closed his eyes tightly and tried to push through the pain to get back to his bed. He got about halfway there before the pain become unbearable and he collapsed to the ground, doubling over.

* * *

Mitchie was heading back to Shane's room when she heard a commotion behind her. She turned and moved out of the way when she saw a bunch of nurses rushing down the hallway with a cart that contained a defibrillator as well as many other instruments.

"Code Blue in room 518! Code Blue!" One of the nurses shouted behind her as she passed Mitchie and a few more appeared from around the corner to follow her.

Mitchie stared after them for a few moments and then it suddenly dawned on her. 518 was Shane's room. Dread coursed through her veins and she took off in a run after the nurses. She had no idea was Code Blue was but it must have been something bad, especially if they had a defibrillator.

She was right behind the nurses, who were in such a hurry they didn't notice her there, as they rushed into the room. She paused in the doorway and gasped when she saw Shane on the floor.

"Shane!" She cried out and went to rush in towards him but one of the nurses stopped her.

"Get him up!" One of the other nurses instructed and two or three nurses surrounded him and lifted him up, quickly bringing him back to the bed.

"You can't be in here miss." The nurse holding her back said and ushered her back into the hallway. Mitchie looked up at her pleadingly as she whimpered Shane's name. The nurse ignored her however and shut the door in her face.

Mitchie backed up until she hit one of the chairs on the opposite side of the hallway. She plopped her self down, one hand going to her mouth as tears pooled her eyes.

She didn't realize how long she was sitting there like that but she suddenly felt somebody place their hands on her shoulder.

"Mitchie, sweetie, what's the matter?"

She looked over and saw Danielle staring at her with concern written in her eyes, Caley right behind her with the same look.

"Shane...he...the floor...code blue." She muttered.

Danielle stared at her curiously for a few moments and then her eyes widened in horror. She whipped her head towards Shane's room and Mitchie could see her whole body tense. She let go of Mitchie's shoulder and ran over to the door. She was just about to open it when it opened and the group of nurses walked out.

"What happened? Is my son okay?" Danielle asked frantically.

One of the nurses stopped to talk to her and reached out to reassure her. "It was a false alarm. Your son got out of bed and got disconnected from his IV and heart monitor. We found him on the floor in severe pain but we got him back on pain medication and he's fine. You may go see him."

Relief flooded Danielle's, Mitchie's and Caley's faces and Danielle thanked her and then disappeared into the room.

Danielle stepped into the room and saw Shane sitting in the bed, glowering. She for the moment, ignored the look on his face and ran over to him and hugged him. "Baby, you had me so worried." She whispered into his ear and then pulled away giving him a stern look.

"Shane Joseph Gray what were you thinking getting out of bed?" She scolded.

Shane turned his gaze to her and his eyes were dark, his jaw was clenched and he looked ready to kill someone. She caught sight of his look and her face softened. "Shane, honey, what's the matter?"

"He was here." Shane hissed lowly.

Danielle stared at him in confusion for a minute and then it slowly dawned on her. She gasped, "What? Wh-why?"

Shane scoffed. "Who knows what the real reason was. He claimed he was here to apologize but I sure knew better than that. I told him to leave and when he wouldn't, I got angry and so I forced him out. My body didn't like that too much but at the time I really didn't care."

Danielle gave him a sympathetic look and took him into a hug. "I'm so sorry Shane."

"It's not your fault Mom."

"How long was he here?" Danielle asked after pulling away from him and sitting down next to him on the bed.

"Only a couple of minutes." Shane replied hardly. "He kept acting like what he did wasn't bad." Shane shook his head. "I can't believe he actually had the audacity to show his face to me."

"I can't believe he came here in the first place." Danielle commented. "He must have known that we would be looking for him to turn him in for what he did."

"Well he's always been stupid." Shane snapped, crossing his arms over his chest and let out a sigh. "I should have called the police."

Danielle rubbed his arm comfortingly. "You were blinded by rage Shane, its okay. He has to be in this area, I'll call the police and have them search for him."

Shane nodded and Danielle kissed his forehead softly. "Everything will be okay Shane. Soon you'll never have to deal with him ever again. None of us will ever have to." Danielle got off the bed and before walking out turned back to him, "Do you want me to call Mitchie in? She was a real mess out there."

Something in Shane's hard face changed but it was so small it was barely noticeable and he nodded. Danielle noticed it however and her lips quirked upwards. She opened the door and saw Mitchie and Caley sitting next to each other both staring at her. "Mitchie." She called and pointed over her shoulder towards Shane's room. Mitchie's face lit up and she walked past Danielle into Shane's room.

She almost smiled at seeing him awake but then caught herself at the look on his face. When she left him not half an hour before he was happy. What could have changed to make him look angrier than she had ever seen him.

She slowly walked closer to him and hesitated when she was halfway there. She hated to admit it but she was scared of him. This was not the Shane she was used to. This was not even the Shane she had seen on the news. She could stand up to that Shane with no problem. But not the Shane right in front of her. He looked ready to explode at any second.

However something flickered in Shane's eyes that made her feel more comfortable. It was as if he saw her hesitation and knew that she was afraid of him and felt bad that he made her feel that way. She took a few more steps closer and Shane extended his arm out towards her, his palm facing upwards. Mitchie then continued all the way and took his hand. His fingers entwined with hers and he pulled her towards him, almost roughly.

Mitchie's eyes widened when she was suddenly pressed up against him and his arms surrounded her and held her tightly. "Shane?" She questioned.

"Mitchie please." Shane chocked out. "Don't say anything...not yet." She crawled up onto bed next to him to get more comfortable. "I just need to hold you."

Mitchie, of course, obliged. She could tell Shane was hurting not physically but emotionally. She didn't know why but she had to give him his time. And she was more than content to sit there in his arms.

As she laid there in his arms she felt that his whole body was tense. She really wanted to know what happened to him but knew she would find out in due time.

Shane held her tightly as he tried to calm himself. Having Mitchie in his presence definitely helped a lot. It always helped. There was just something about her that had a calming effect on him. Maybe it was that she would always be there for him no matter what. She wouldn't ask questions she would just be there. Maybe it was how much she obviously cared for him. If he heard correctly, last night she did tell him she loved him.

Was what he felt for her love? There was definitely something there that was more than just a crush.

As he looked down at Mitchie in his arms, he decided with a small smile, that yes, it was love. He would be no where without the girl in his arms, he would be absolutely lost if he ever lost her.

He contemplated for the next few minutes whether he should actually tell her. If what he heard was just in his imagination he told her the three most important words that could break or make a relationship...things would end badly. However, if she did actually say it, and he said it back to her, things would end a whole lot better.

He really didn't want to scare her away, not when he needed her the most.

And with that he had his answer. Saying the those three words could wait until a time when he could be away from her for a few days to let her think through things. Right now he needed her there with no awkwardness, no uncomfortableness.

Mitchie quickly glanced up at him and saw that his face no longer looked angry but thoughtful.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked meekly and Shane's gaze snapped to her. She was about to apologize for asking that question when suddenly his lips perked up.

"You." He answered honestly.

Mitchie blushed and bit her lip. "What about me?"

At his hesitation she added with a little nervousness, "Nothing bad I hope."

Shane shot her a reassuring smile. "Never."

Mitchie blushed further and glanced away shyly.

"Nothing inappropriate either I swear!" Shane clarified at her look. "I was just thinking about....last night."

She looked back up at him with a curious look. "What about last night?"

He swallowed. What was he doing? Didn't he just tell himself that he wouldn't bring up this topic?

"Before I fell asleep...I thought I heard..." He paused. Was he really ready to bring this up? He was already halfway there. He could keep going or he could go back. If he didn't want to talk about it, Mitchie would understand and change the subject.

"Heard what?" Mitchie asked slowly.

"I thought I heard you say something....that I don't think you wanted me to hear."

Mitchie's eyes widened and she swallowed. "I-I'm sorry Shane. I didn't know you were awake...I thought that you were asleep I didn't know...oh god." She sat up and buried her face in her hands.

Shane felt all negative emotions leave his body at that moment. All thoughts of his jerk father escaped his mind and his spirits lifted emmensly. The grin on his face lit up his face even more.

"Say it again Mitch."

"I'm sorry." She mumbled into her hands.

He laughed. "Not that."

She lifted her head to look at him.

"What you said last night. Say it again."

Mitchie stared at him unsurely. She bit her lip, obviously not reading the grin on his face correctly. She took a few breaths and then said quietly, "I love you."

If it was possible, Shane's grin widened and he kissed her. He slipped his arms around her again and held her close as they kissed.

"I love you too." He murmered against her lips. He went in to kiss her again when she pulled back and stared at him wide eyed.

"You do?" She whispered. "Really?"

He smirked at her. "Would I lie to you?"

"No." She replied surely, a grin slowly forming on her face. He grinned back at her and both their hearts fluttered at the same time.

Shane pulled her down to lay next to him and they laid side by side just staring into each other's eyes. Shane reached over and gently caressed her cheek softly. "You're beautiful you know that?" He said lovingly.

Mitchie blushed and turned her face into the pillow. "No one's ever really said that to me." She admitted. "Except for family but they don't really count."

"Well, one day soon you're going to get a load of guys chasing after you and you know what you're going to tell them?"

"What?"

"Tough noogies. Shane Gray has my heart."

She laughed. "Tough noogies?" She grinned. "That was the last thing I expected out of your mouth Shane."

He pursed his lips. "I think they overloaded me on morphine." He furrowed his brow and shook his head lightly. "It's making me loopy."

"Don't blame it on the drugs Shane." She teased.

His eyebrows shot up. "Excuse me?" He poked her sides and she squeaked. "What are you implying?"

"I think you know exactly what I'm implying." She replied, grinning cheekily.

Shane frowned, narrowed his eyes and huphed quietly. Mitchie giggled and cuddled up to him. "I'm just teasing you." She rested her head on his shoulder. "I know it's just the medication."

The mood got solemn after that. All the positive energy was suddenly drained from the room as both their minds were brought back to what happened earlier.

"What happened Shane?" She asked quietly.

"_He_ was here." Shane answered after a minute.

Mitchie gasped as she propped herself up to look at him. His eyes met hers and she could see the darkness had filled his eyes again.

"He came here? Why?"

"To apologize. Or so he said."

"Apologize?" she echoed and she shook her head, her nose scrunching up in disgust. "Seriously?"

"According to him." Shane answered darkly. "I don't know what the _real_ reason was. Probably to see if I was suffering or not. Hell he was probably hoping I was on my death bed."

Mitchie frowned and rested her head down on his chest, slinging her arm around him.

It wasn't fair. Shane didn't deserve any of what he was getting. No one deserved it. Mitchie wondered how he was remaining so sane. If all of this happened to her, she would have had a mental breakdown by this point.

"I love you Shane." She told him, making it sound as passionate as possible. She needed him to know that even though his father didn't love him, she did. And she knew her love wouldn't compare to that of a father's but she hoped it would make him feel better.

Shane's arms tightened around her and she felt him bury his head in her hair. "Thank you Mitchie." He whispered. "I could never of made it through this without you. You don't know how much you mean to me."

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_**A/N: I hope you liked that. Review for me lovelys!**_


	24. Chapter 24

_**A/N: Hello readers! I'm back finally! I know and I'm sorry!! I've had such writers' block its not even funny! Well, writers block for fluff stuff anyway, I have a brilliant plan for you drama lovers that I'm not adding just yet but you'll see it soon. But my beta just gave me an idea for this chapter so I'm back. **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock or 'Two Worlds Collide' by Demi Lovato.

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Almost two weeks had passed since Shane was admitted to the hospital. He was healing slowly but surely. They didn't know how much longer they needed to keep him there. All they knew was that he was better but not yet good enough to go home. He had a nurse come in almost everyday and help him walk a couple of time around his floor. After a couple of times, he could make one lap around the fifth floor without wincing.

After about a week, Nate and Jason, as a favor to their friend, helped pay for a new room for Shane. Up on the 10th floor was where all the hospital suites were. Shane was immediately more excited upon seeing his new room. Pop Star or not, he would have gone nuts sitting in that plain hospital room for who knows how long. His new room actually had colored wallpaper, a bed that actually looked (and felt) comfortable, a couple of nice, comfortable couches and chairs. And the best part of it all, no blinking, beeping machines that he had to listen to every minute of everyday. Instead he just wore a censor attached to his finger that the machines from a room next to him picked up and monitored. Another great thing about that room was that he didn't have to eat the hospitals food. He had a personal chef cooking for him. And his family and friends could come and visit anytime they wanted to. His doctor also told him that because he was improving a lot and his bullet wound wasn't so bad anymore he could dress in his own clothes as long as they were loose fitting. Nate and Jason went shopping for him and bought him a bunch of sweat and pajama pants and loose t-shirts that were in his style.

Shane was in heaven, or as close to heaven as you can get while on bedrest in a hospital, in his new room. He spent alot of his time watching the flat screen hanging up on the wall across from his bed that had every channel known to man.

Alot of the time Mitchie would stay the night and the two would watch a movie on the flat screen or just talk, laying next to each other on the bed. Every couple of nights, his mother and sister would stay with him even though Shane insisted that he was fine.

"Shane, you are my son who hasn't been in my house for close to three years. Let me spend some time with you."

Sending him on the guilt trip worked and he agreed to let them stay.

But there were times when he wished that everyone, especially his mother, would just leave him alone.

One Saturday morning at 8 o'clock was one of those times. He was gently being pulled out of his slumber by a shaking of his shoulders.

"Shane..." His mother's voice reached his half asleep brain. He recognized that tone. It was the tone she used when he wouldn't get up for school. He knew the next part was coming but yet he didn't respond to her voice. It was saturday, he had no where to be or nothing to do.

"Sweetie, wake up."

He groaned at her and flipped over to his other side, pulling the covers up over his head.

"Shane." She called in a sing song voice.

"Go'way." He muttered from underneath the covers. What could she possibly want so early in the morning?

"Come on." She rubbed his shoulders through the covers. "Uppy time Shane."

He groaned again at the term. 'Uppy time' was what she used to say to him to get him up in elementary school. He mumbled incoherently to himself and he finally gave in, knowing his mother wouldn't. He flipped the covers off his head and rolled onto his back. He slowly opened his eyes, and squinted his eyes to get used to the light.

When his eyes adjusted he saw his mother's face smiling at him. "Hey there birthday boy."

Oh, that's right. It was his birthday. August 15th. He was 19.

"Mom," he said in exasperation, his voice still laced with tiredness. "You woke me up just to tell me Happy Birthday."

"I always used to do that."

"Yeah mom, when I was like five." He responded with a slight roll to his eyes. "Now I actually like to sleep."

"It's not that early Shane."

He quickly glanced at the clock and then glanced back at her with an eyebrow raised. "Mom...it's 8:10. I don't know what planet you're living on, but on Earth, that's early."

She chuckled quietly. "Honey, I know that you're used to getting up ALOT earlier than that."

"Yeah," Shane agreed, "But not for the past few weeks. At Camp, I didn't have to get up until nine, and now that I'm in the hospital I have no commitments."

"Shane, if we let you sleep to whenever you wanted you'd sleep the whole day away."

Shane huffed. "But it's my birthday." He whined.

She smiled and sat on the bed next to him. "And people want to see you Shane."

"This early?" He asked skeptically.

"Well no," She said, "Your friends went to the hotel and are still asleep."

He raised his eyebrows. "So why am I awake?"

"Because I wanted to say Happy Birthday to my only son on his nineteenth birthday." She responded.

Shane narrowed his eyes. "And you couldn't wait two or three hours?"

She shrugged with a smile. He rolled his eyes. "Thanks Mom."

"I'm sorry sweetheart." She chuckled lightly. "You could go back to sleep now if you like."

"No." He mumbled and pushed himself up into a sitting position. "Now I'm awake."

"Well, alright then." She leaned over and kissed his forehead and then gasped. "Oh your present!"

"Mom." Shane said in exasperation. "You didn't have to get me anything."

"Nonsense baby." She smiled at him and walked over to the table in one corner of his room and picked up a longish, rectangular box wrapped in shiny paper.

She walked back over to the side of the bed and sat down, handing him the present.

"Thanks." He mumbled as he took the box. He unwrapped it carefully and then took the cover off the box. He found himself staring down at a golden guitar pick locket. He lifted it out of the box and held it in front of him. He felt his breath catch in his chest when he read the inscription on the front in beautiful cursive letters, 'Remember Yourself'. He stared at the golden locket for a few moments before he reached over and opened the locket.

On one side was a picture of him and his mom, both smiling at the camera, that was taken about a year before he got discovered. On the other side was a more recent picture of him and Mitchie. It was one of his favorites actually. Michie had her head rested on his shoulder and the grin on her face reached her eyes, she looked as if she didn't have a care in the world. The look on his face was similar. He had been told a couple of times that his whole face lit up when Mitchie was near him but he never saw it himself. But in this picture he could see the happy spark in his own eyes, he could see the love sick smile on his face.

He finally tore his eyes away from the locket and looked at his mother. "Mom..." He whispered, his voice cracking.

"I hope you like it." Danielle said a little nervously.

"Like it?" He whispered. "God, Mom I love it. Where did you...?"

"Mitchie of course." Danielle answered his unasked question. "She has a lot of good pictures of you two together but she said that was her favorite. I had to agree, you look so happy in that picture Shane." She said with a wistful smile.

He smiled back at her and then looked back down at the locket resting in his palm. "This is...wonderful." He shut the locket and stared at the shiny metal for a good minute then looked back up at his mother. "Thank you."

She smiled and placed her hand over his free hand. "You're welcome."

"Want to help me get this on?" He asked, holding out the piece of jewelry.

"Of Course." She grinned and helped him sit up. She took the locket from him and put it around his neck and then pulled back to see how it looked at him. "Perfect."

Shane smiled at her.

"Oh!" She jumped when she remembered something. "I put it in an order for your favorite breakfast. It should be here any moment."

"Mom, you really don't-" He started to protest but Danielle held up her hand.

"Don't Shane. It's your birthday and therefore you deserve some good treatment." She smiled when she heard a knock on his door. "And there we are." She rushed over to the door and pulled it open. A young man dressed in all white scrubs pushed in a breakfast cart. He wheeled it over to Shane's bedside and Danielle handed him a few bucks for a tip. "Thank you."

The man nodded and then he walked out of the room leaving the two alone. Danielle looked at Shane saw him practically drooling at the sight of the food. He went to reach for the food bur Danielle pulled the cart away from him.

He looked up at her and looked like he was just stabbed in the heart by his best friend. She chuckled at his expression and moved the food over to the table. "Get up Shane."

"Mom." Shane whined.

"Don't 'Mom' me, you're never going to get better if you stay in bed all day."

Shane huffed and pushed his covers off him. He got to his feet with little to no trouble and hobbled slowly over to the table. Once he sat down at one of the chairs he turned his narrowed his eyes to his mother.

She took the seat next to him while smirking. "Just eat your breakfast sweetheart."

Without taking his eyes off her he picked up his knife and fork and started cutting the French Toast. She laughed at his expression and whacked his arm lightly. "Stop being a sour puss."

He pursed his lips and looked down at his breakfast, trying to hide the smirk on his face.

A couple of hours later, Danielle left to go pick up Caley, Mitchie, Nate, Jason, Caitlyn and Sierra who Mitchie (or rather Nate) had flown up for Shane's surprise party they were planning.

When they got there, they all walked into the room singing 'Happy Birthday'. Shane shook his head at his friends and family as they walked into the room.

"Happy Birthday Shane!" They all exclaimed once they were done singing and Jason threw confetti in the air.

Shane shook his head and chuckled lowly. "Thanks guys."

Mitchie walked over to his bed and pecked his lips softly. "Happy Birthday." She whispered. He smiled at her and brought her down to kiss her again this time a little longer.

"Get a room!" Caitlyn and Caley called at the same time.

Mitchie broke off and turned to glare at them and they both grinned innocently at her. She rolled her eyes but backed away from Shane. Before she could walk away further, Shane grabbed her hand and linked her fingers with his. She looked back at him and matched his smile.

"How are you feeling Shane?" Nate asked walking up to the foot of his bed.

"Tired." He shot a look at his mother and she raised her eyebrows. "But alright." He continued.

Nate looked at Mitchie and nodded. She nodded back and looked at Shane. "Shane, you wanna come for a walk?"

Shane narrowed his eyes in accusation. "Did my mother put you up to this?"

"No." Mitchie replied.

He sighed. "Fine."

He pushed the covers off him and got to his feet still holding onto Mitchie's hand. After he took one step, he saw Nate rush over to him but he held up his hand. "I'm alright."

Nate nodded but remained close to him just incase and once Shane started for the door, Jason stayed close behind him. Danielle, Caitlyn, Caley and Sierra were in front of him and Danielle led the group down the hall and to the elevator.

"Why are we going in the elevator?" Shane asked.

"We figured you'd like a change of scenery." Mitchie fibbed.

Shane lifted one eyebrow and she smiled at him. "Come on." She gently pulled him to the elevator and went down to the fifth floor.

"Oh, REAL change of scenery." Shane muttered sarcastically once he stepped out. "This is where I was."

No one responded to his remark and walked down the hall, in the opposite direction of his old room. They stopped in front of the room that was the entertainment room for the sick teenagers on that floor. However the door was shut and the room was unusually dark.

"What's going on?" Shane asked, looking between his friends. They all smirked but said nothing. Caitlyn opened the door and stepped aside. The others parted so Shane could walk forward. Once he was in the doorway, he squinted his eyes to see if he could see anything. Just then the lights flickered on and about six teenagers shouted, "Happy Birthday Shane!"

Shane's jaw dropped as he looked around the room. The room was decorated with streamers and party favors. Across the ceiling hung a banner that said, 'Happy 19th Birthday Shane'. There was a table filled with a few trays of food and a few presents and a cake. His friends that he had met in the hospital were standing around, smiling.

Shane whirled around and looked at the people behind him. "You set this up?"

"It was Mitchie's idea." Nate motioned to her. "But we paid for it."

Shane looked at Mitchie and she grinned at him. He smiled back and kissed her cheek. "Thanks baby."

Her whole face lit up and a her grin widened.

"Well let's get this party started!" Caitlyn moved past Shane and ran over to the stereo system and started some music. Shane smirked and walked in, Mitchie still attached to his hand.

A boy the same age walked up to him and held up his hand for a high five. Shane slapped his hand with his free hand and gave a small smile. "Happy Birthday man."

"Thanks Dan." Shane replied. The other patients that were there, Mike, Eric, Tyler, Jessica and Leah each greeted him with a Happy Birthday. Leah being the most shy. She was of course a big fan of Shane and the rest of Connect 3. Even though she had met Shane over the course of the two weeks he'd been there, she was still a little star struck. Jessica treated him like she knew him for years, she was the chatter box and more peppy one. Mike, Eric and Dan all became friends with him instantly. Tyler was one of those brothers of the younger sisters who were obsessed with Connect 3. So he was prejudiced of Shane when they first met, thinking he was only a spoiled pop star. But after sitting by him and watching him talk to Mike, Eric, Dan and Jessica he realized that Shane was just a regular person.

Everyone of his hospital friends knew Mitchie, Nate and Jason because they came to visit most often, so after a few introductions to Caitlyn and Sierra. Shane let Caley stay for the party. Leah was fourteen which was just one year older than Caley so they bonded quickly.

Shane, along with most of the hospital residents were too weak to even try to dance so they just sat around talking and watching Caitlyn, Mitchie, Sierra and Caley occasinaly dance.

"How long have you been together?" Mike asked Shane after he caught him staring at Mitchie from across the room.

"What?" Shane asked a few seconds after the question was asked, snapping up to look at Mike who was smirking.

"I said, How long have you been together? You and Mitchie."

"Oh, um, a couple of weeks, almost a month." Shane answered.

"Really?" Mike asked, his voice laced with surprise. "That's it? It seems a lot longer than that, with the way you're looking at her."

Shane's lips turned up in a half smile and he let out a soft sigh. "I get that alot. Everyone says it's obvious how I feel for her."

"Yeah," Nate agreed, plopping down on the seat beside Shane, smirking. "Me and Jase always call him lover boy. Believe me, it's worse when she's NOT in the room."

Shane gave him a look. "Thanks Nate."

"I wouldn't want to be in his thoughts that's all I'm saying." Nate added and Shane shoved him and Nate laughed.

"Aw guys stop." Jessica piped in, walking over to them holding a plate of food. "It's his birthday, its a tease-free zone."

Shane shot a thankful look at Jessica. "Thank you."

She smiled and nodded but then winked. "But the other 364 days are fine."

Mike and Nate grinned while Shane groaned, burying his face in his hands.

"Present time!" Caitlyn called about a half an hour later.

"Oh Thank God." Shane muttered. Even though Nate and Mike had stopped teasing him about Mitchie, they didn't shut up about everything else.

He opened his arms when he saw Mitchie approaching. She smiled at him and walked into his open arms. He pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her. She looked at him with a concerned look. "Are you alright?"

He smiled up at her. "I'm fine. The injury was in my side not my legs." He pecked her cheek. "I'm fine, I promise."

She smiled softly and nodded.

"Mitchie." Caitlyn said in exasperation, putting her hands on her hips. "Shane can't open his presents if you're on his lap."

Shane wrapped his arms tighter around her and glared at Caitlyn. "She stays."

Mitchie giggled and Caitlyn rolled her eyes.

"Okay whatever..." She muttered and brought over the pile of cards and presents. His hospital friends all just got him a home made card since they couldn't go out and buy something. He read each one of them and thanked all of them.

Then came time for the other presents. Caley insisted she went first and Mitchie moved as much as Shane would let her so Shane could open the present.

He tore the paper off and found a white clothing box. He opened the box and gasped softly at what he saw. Instantly memories flooded his mind.

"_Shane!" Caley stood in Shane's doorway. She watched as Shane threw himself on his bed. He landed on his stomach and didn't answer her. _

"_Hey Shane!" She called and took a step into his room. "You want to go play some Super Mario Karts? I've gotten a lot better!" _

"_No." Shane's practically growled response was muffled from his face buried in the blankets. _

_She frowned and her shoulders slumped. She looked around the room that hadn't been touched in almost two years and swallowed. She bravely took a few steps in and walked around his bed. _

"_How about going out and shooting some hoops? Basketball is pretty fun you know." She offered. _

"_No." Shane replied in the same exact tone. _

_Caley's lip pouted out slightly although she knew Shane couldn't see it. She then walked over to his dresser. She opened one of the middle drawers and her face lit up. "Hey Shane! Look what I've got!" She pranced back over to his bed holding up the shirt. "It's the shirt Grandma got us when she went to Mexico, remember? We both have matching ones, except mine's pink." _

_When she got no response from the pop star she continued, "And remember these were our favorite shirts! Every saturday morning we'd get up, put the shirts on and watch cartoons and then Mom would make us breakfast." _

_Still no response. _

"_Remember?" She pressed. "I'm sure there's cartoons on now, I'll get my shirt and we'll go downstairs and watch it or we could watch a mo-" _

_She was cut off by Shane sitting up and sending her a death glare. "Quit it kid." He hissed. "I don't want your stupid shirt. Why don't you take it and go watch TV by yourself? huh?" _

_Even though she didn't have a mirror she knew her face was twisted with hurt. She gripped the black t-shirt in her fists and her eyes watered. "Shay..." _

"_Get out." Shane bit out between clenched teeth. _

_Caley's lower lip quivered and she tossed the shirt onto the ground before running out of the room. _

_Without one single look at the shirt on the ground, Shane rolled his eyes and fell back onto his bed. _

There sitting in front of him was the same shirt that was tossed on the ground that day. No one but Shane and Caley understood the meaning of that shirt and why Shane, for the past minute, could only stare at the shirt in the box. When he finally lifted his eyes from the shirt, his eyes were glazed over with unshed tears. "Cal..." He whispered, his voice breaking.

She gave him a small smile. "I know Shane." She whispered.

Mitchie got off his lap and Shane didn't protest. Shane held out his arms for his sister and Caley ran into them burying her face in his chest. He closed his eyes and whispered in her ear, "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay." She replied just as softly. She pulled back a few moments later and the two smiled at each other. Shane wiped the tears from her eyes. "Thank you." Only Caley caught the double meaning behind those words.

She smiled wider and nodded. "You're welcome."

Once he had room, he took the shirt out of the box and slipped it on. It was a little snug on him but it still fit pretty well.

"Here," Nate said taking another box and pushing it towards Shane. "This is from me and Jase."

Shane unwrapped it and started laughing when he saw what it was. In a plastic container were about twenty different guitar picks.

"You always seem to lose yours." Nate explained. "You're always asking me or Jase if you've seen your picks. I figured at least if I got you these you'd stop asking-for at least a little while."

Shane smiled at his best friends. "Thanks guys. It's great."

"You're welcome!" Jason replied happily.

Mitchie cleared her throat and Shane looked at her. She was standing in the middle of the room with a guitar slung around her. Behind her, Nate and Jason were setting up a drum set and a few amps.

"I honestly had no idea what to get you." Mitchie explained sheepishly. "So I just wrote you a song."

Shane's eyes lit up and he looked on in excitement. The only song he had ever heard Mitchie sing was 'This Is Me' and was eager to hear more.

After a couple of minutes of setting up, Jason took his guitar and Nate sat behind the drum set.

"I taught Nate and Jason the song." Mitchie explained at seeing his confused expression upon seeing his friends getting ready to play.

Mitchie bit her lip and looked behind at Nate and nodded. Nate nodded once and counted them off and then broke into a second long drum solo before Jason and Mitchie came in with their guitars.

Then Mitchie started singing and the sound was music to his ears.

_She was given the world_

_so much that she couldn't see_

_and she needed someone _

_to show her who she could be_

_and she tried to survive_

_wearing her heart on her sleeve_

_but I needed you to believe_

_You had your dreams I had mine_

_you had your fears I was fine_

_Showed me what I couldn't find_

_When two different worlds collide_

_la de da de da_

_She was scared of it all_

_watching from far away_

_and she was given a role_

_never knew just when to play_

_and she tried to survive_

_living her life on her own_

_always afraid of the throne_

_but you've given me strength to find home_

_You had your dreams I had mine_

_your had your fears I was fine_

_showed me what I couldn't find _

_when two different worlds collide_

_She was scared_

_unprepared_

_lost in the dark_

_falling apart_

_I can survive_

_with you by my side_

_we're gonna be alright_

Nate echoed her with _(We're gonna be alright)_

_This is what happens_

_when two worlds _

_collide. _

_You had your dreams I had mine_

_you had your fears I was fine_

_showed me what i couldn't find_

_when two different worlds collide_

_la de da de da_

_you had your dreams I had mine _

_(you had your dreams I had mine)_

_You had your fears I was fine _

_(you had your fears I was fine)_

_Showed me what I couldn't find_

_When two different worlds collide_

_When two different worlds_

_collide_

The last note of the guitar resonated throughout the room for a couple more seconds and then Mitchie straightened up and gave Shane a hopeful smile.

"Well?"

"Well." Shane repeated, shaking his head, looking a bit dazed. He stood up slowly and walked over to her a smile on his lips. "Oh no Mitch, that was SO much better than well."

She grinned, her face lighting up. "Really? You liked it?"

"I loved it." He replied and leaned down to kiss her. "You are amazing." He whispered against her lips.

She blushed and looked up at him shyly. "Thanks."

"No, Thank _You._" He kissed her forehead and pulled her into a hug. "Thank you for giving me one of the best birthdays of my life." He whispered in her ear. "I love you."

Mitchie felt her heart swell immensely as those words passed his lips. She grinned brightly and blushed heavily upon seeing the crowd staring them. "Shane." She whispered. "Everyone's staring."

Shane pulled back and grinned down at her. "Well then give them something to look at."

She furrowed her brow but before she could say anything, Shane pulled her into a heart melting kiss.

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	25. Imp Authors Note!

Hello faithful readers!

I'm sorry I haven't been around in...well, a really long time. I got involved with other fandoms that has completely taken over my soul. Though the adverts for Camp Rock 2 is sparking my imagination again for the Camp Rock fandom.

That is where the good news comes in. I have not given up on this story! I promise you that! Over the last couple of months I started to write chapter 25...lost inspiration...stopped...and then started up again recently. I am about halfway to three-quarters done with it already.

This note is just to inform you keep your eye open for the next chapter pretty soon. I have finals coming up next week but after that I am done for the summer and I will try to update more often, though I make no promises. I will try to update as soon as I can though so please do not give up on this story. I have gotten many reviews lately that are begging me to continue and I am happy to comply with your requests and all you other readers have those reviewers to thank because it is them who inspired me to continue this fic.

I shall be seeing you soon!

mamaXunicorn

P.S. To keep you satisfied here is a little snippet from the next chapter:

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"Sometimes I can't believe this boy," Mitchie pointed to Shane, "is nineteen."

Shane frowned at her and Nate laughed. "I hear you Mitchie."

"Most of the time you act like you are fifty, Nate!" Shane retaliated.

Nate shrugged, not denying it. "Someone has to or we would all end up like you."

Shane raised his eyebrow. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Nate sighed. "I just mean that without keeping me or Jason in line we'd all end up like jerks and our career would be ruined."

"People love the bad boy image."

"Yeah Shane." Nate remarked sarcastically. "They love it. That's why they sent you away to camp because they hoped you would be an influence to other kids so they could have a "bad boy" image."

"Nathaniel, there is no need for sarcasm."


	26. Chapter 25

_**A/N: Hello everyone and here I am with the story (finally!). I apologize for this chapter. I thought about not doing it but no other ideas came to me and I've had this idea in my head for a long, long time and I always planned to do it this chapter and just because I didn't update for a while doesn't change that. Sorry, don't hate me too much! It's probably weird that the last time I dropped the bomb shell on you it was my birthday and it is my birthday again this coming week. So as a present to me for my 19th birthday, please don't hate me.**_

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Mitchie woke up where she had been waking up for the past few days. In Shane Gray's arms. Usually she woke awaken to find Shane already awake and watching her sleep. But when she shifted in his arms she didn't hear his velvet voice bid her a good morning. She turned so she was facing him and saw that he was still asleep. She propped her self up on her elbow and smiled as she for once watched him sleep. His face was calm and he had a small smile playing across his lips. She concluded he must have been having a good dream.

Slowly, day by day the scratches and bruises on his face started to fade and she could see more and more of his regular face. But even with the fading bruises he didn't quite look like the poster she had hanging in her room. His face was paler and his hair was a mess on top of his head. Of course she knew it was him, there was no denying that but sometimes when she would look at him she would see a completely different person than the boy that was on the poster. Not that that was a bad thing of course. The boy on her poster would not be cuddling her in his sleep. The boy on her poster would not even give her the time of day. She definitely had to say she liked this Shane a whole lot better.

The now nineteen year old mumbled something incoherently in his sleep and gripped Mitchie tighter to him. She couldn't help but smile at that.

She rested her head back down on the pillow and kept her eyes on him.

Soon enough Shane shifted so he was facing her. His eyes slowly fluttered open and he gazed sleepily into her eyes. She smiled at him. "Hey there sleepy head."

He moaned quietly and his eyes closed again as he snuggled his head into her shoulder. She laughed and ran her fingers through his hair softly. "Shaaaaane."

He huphed once but didn't move.

She laughed quietly. "I know you're up now Shane."

"Nomnot." He mumbled.

"I suppose you're talking in your sleep then." She stated, her tone light with amusement.

" 'sactly." He replied sleepily.

She smirked and shook her head. "Don't make me do it Shane."

When she got no answer from the Pop Star, she slowly maneuvered her body so she could reach across him and jab her finger into his good side.

He squeaked loudly and lifted his head to glare at her. "That wasn't nice."

She started laughing at the loud girly like squeal he made and only laughed harder at the scowl on his face. He continued to glare at her until she calmed down and stopped laughing. However even after her laughter subsided a grin still remained on her face. For at least a minute the two stared each other down, neither losing the expression on their face.

"I did warn you Shane." She told him, the grin still on her face.

He rolled his eyes. "It still wasn't nice. You shouldn't torture the suffering."

"It was a harmless poke in the side." She retorted. "And you're not suffering the doctor says you're almost healed and that you can go home soon."

"Well listen missy you don't know you're own strength alright? That happened to hurt and you very well could have damaged my other side so now I have to stay here longer."

She raised an eyebrow. "You really want to stay here longer?"

Shane pursed his lips and looked around the room. It was true, even with his new room he didn't particularly like being in the hospital. He had been there far too long and he couldn't even walk around whenever he wanted to because somehow fans always managed to sneak past security and find him...you'd think they'd have enough decency to leave him alone considering he IS in the hospital. They kept asking him questions about how he was and what had happened. A few days earlier he had told Nate and Jason to release a statement from him about how he was and what had happened, in as little details of possible of course. He did NOT want his fans to know about his psychopathic, abusive father. Anyone in the same situation would understand, you do not want that information known amongst millions of people. And even after the statement released (which he knew it was, he saw it on Hot Tunes and in Pop Informer magazine.) the fans still continued to find him in the hallways and ask how he was. However he took to learning that the fans would not bother him if Mitchie was near him and he liked that very much. Unfortunately, Mitchie could not spend 24/7 with him as much as both of them would like that. Connie insisted that Mitchie, because she was not injured, should not spend all of her time in a hospital room. However, she did let Mitchie stay nights with him and occasionally some days. But the sooner he could get out of the hospital the better. He hadn't really gotten any fresh air since it happened, his pale white skin needed the sun desperately, and he couldn't wait to get home. He hadn't been to his home, his true home with his mother and Caley, in a year. He didn't even remember what his room looked like. But he knew his bed would be a whole lot more comfortable then the hospital bed and the tour bus beds. "No." He muttered in response.

"I didn't think so." She replied.

He sighed quietly and looked over at the clock at his bedside. He groaned and rolled his head back over to Mitchie. "It's 9:30..really Mitchie? You couldn't let me sleep longer?"

"You were the one who woke up." She pointed out.

"For a second. I could have easily fallen back asleep but someone," He shot her a look, "decided to rudely poke me in the side and now I am awake."

"Sorry." She apologized lamely.

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah."

Mitchie smiled widely and sat up. "So now that you're up..." She began in a suggestive tone.

He eyed her suspiciously. "..what?"

She grinned at him and swung her legs off the bed, hopping off. He watched her carefully, not really sure what she was up to.

She walked around to his side of the bed and raised her eyebrows, holding out her hands towards him. He raised an eyebrow curiously. "What are you doing?"

She gave him an exasperated look. "Oh come on you remember what the nurse told you last night."

He narrowed his eyes. "I just woke up you expect me to walk?"

She nodded, her grin never fading.

He shook his head. "Not happening."

She waggled her fingers at him. "Come on Shane its time to get up."

"I don't think so." He stubbornly crossed his arms over his chest and stared at her hardly.

"Shane," she scolded, "the nurse said as soon as you get up you should try to walk a little."

"I can walk just fine thank you."

"Oh really? Then prove it." She challenged.

"I will prove it when I'm ready." He retorted. He glanced at the clock, "Which will be when its actually passed noon. Goodnight." He, as quickly as he could without hurting himself, flipped over to his side and closed his eyes.

Mitchie shook her head at his back. "Fine then. I'll just go." She glanced at him quickly before smirking and walking towards the door. She opened the door, waited a second, closed it and hid behind the wall that separated the door and the rest of the room.

"Mitchie?" She heard Shane call out and she bit back a chuckle. "Mitch? After a moment or two of silence she heard the sheets on the bed rustling. She heard a low groan emit from him and then heard his feet padding against the tiled floor.

Shane appeared by the door and scowled when he saw Mitchie standing there, grinning at him.

"You are a horrible person." Shane remarked and went to turn back towards his bed but Mitchie reached out and grabbed his hand. "Now you're up Shane you have no excuse."

"My excuse is that my evil girlfriend tricked me into getting up." Shane grumbled in response.

"If I'm so evil why am I your girlfriend?" Mitchie responded raising her eyebrows with a smirk.

"Because you're so evil you put me under a spell so you'd make me love you."

Mitchie frowned and slapped his arm lightly and he laughed. "Just kidding, geez calm down."

Mitchie stuck her tongue out at him. "You're probably really hungry lets go down to the cafeteria."

"Down to the cafeteria?" Shane's face scrunched up. "But there's normal people down there."

Mitchie gave him an exasperated look. "Don't be such a spoiled pop star Shane. You can't have people serve you all the time."

"But I'm hurt." Shane pouted, holding his wounded side.

"You're alot better and you certainly can make it to the cafeteria." Mitchie squeezed his hand and tugged him towards the door.

"But I don't wanna!" Shane whined.

She gave him an exasperated look. "Shane you're nineteen years old not three, grow up."

Shane grumbled under his breath and let Mitchie pull him out the door. "What happens if the paparazzi are down there? I'd rather not have this," he motioned to his body which was dressed in sweat pants and a t-shirt, his hair was messy and a bit greasy from not showering and his face was still a pale white, "on the front page of every magazine."

Mitchie rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you can handle a little bad publicity. I'm surprised you're not used to it."

Shane sighed heavily. "But that was bad publicity that I wanted. Even if I was a jerk I still looked hot."

"You still look hot." She insisted.

Shane raised his eyebrows at her. "You're kidding me right? I look like I just got thrown off a cliff."

"You do not." Mitchie scoffed. "Besides your security guards are all around the hospital. They wouldn't let any paparazzi in."

"They try not to let any paparazzi in. Those people, if you can even call them that, are sneaky. They've got cameras everywhere."

Mitchie raised an eyebrow and Shane nodded. "It's true. _Everywhere._"

"He's right." Shane and Mitchie looked up hearing Nate's voice. Nate was approaching them with a tray of food in his hands.

Shane's face lit up at seeing the food and Mitchie sighed, "Nate! He's not going to get any better if you keep bring him stuff!"

"I know." Nate replied stopping in front of them. "Believe me Mitch, I want Shane to kick his bad habits as much as you do but he's right about the paparazzi. They are swarming the cafeteria."

Shane smirked smugly at Mitchie and then reached to grab the tray.

"What about security?"

"They got past security. They can hide their cameras very well." Nate explained and Shane nodded in agreement, grabbing an apple slice off the tray and popping into his mouth.

"Usually I would have said that Shane could suck it up," Nate continued, "but if I were in his position I wouldn't want the cameras getting to me either. Its bad enough that people are talking enough as it is."

Shane paused in his chewing and stared at Nate inquisitively. "What?" He questioned with a mouthful.

"You should see the blogs Shane. It's insane. There are so many rumors going around as to what happened to you."

Shane blinked quietly and swallowed what he had in his mouth. "Is anyone right?"

Nate shook his head. "No. No one has even suggested it being your father or even being part of your family. Most of the fans are blaming the haters, saying that it was one of them. One thing is for sure Shane, your popularity, if this was even possible, has multiplied."

Shane smirked and Mitchie elbowed him lightly. "Don't let that go to your head Shane."

"Oh he will." Nate commented and Shane gave him a look. Mitchie laughed softly and turned to Nate.

"So what are you doing here so early Nate?"

"Couldn't sleep." He shrugged.

"Aren't you supposed to be spending the day with Caitlyn?" Mitchie asked.

"Yeah but last night Caity told me that I better let her sleep until noon. I got up early and didn't know what to do with myself so I came here." Nate explained.

"Where's Jason?" Shane asked through a mouthful of food. Nate rolled his eyes at that and said, "He's still asleep too. He stayed up late last night watching cartoons...I swear sometimes I can't believe that boy is almost twenty one."

"Sometimes I can't believe this boy," Mitchie pointed to Shane, "is nineteen."

Shane frowned at her and Nate laughed. "I hear you Mitchie."

"Most of the time you act like you are fifty, Nate!" Shane retaliated.

Nate shrugged, not denying it. "Someone has to or we would all end up like you."

Shane raised his eyebrow. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Nate sighed. "I just mean that without keeping me or Jason in line we'd all end up like jerks and our career would be ruined."

"People love the bad boy image."

"Yeah Shane." Nate remarked sarcastically. "They love it. That's why they sent you away to camp because they hoped you would be an influence to other kids so they could have a "bad boy" image."

"Nathaniel, there is no need for sarcasm."

Nate rolled his eyes at the use of his full name. "They needed you nicen up Shane."

Shane waved his hand through the air. "It wouldn't have happened to you or Jason anyway....well not Jason. Jason is way too nice to be a tough guy."

Nate furrowed his brow and frowned. "Wait a second so you're saying that I would be a jerk?"

"I'm just saying its a possibility." Shane responded.

Nate scoffed. "No its not."

"Oh come on. Do you remember what we said? When we first started the band? That we wouldn't let anything come between us? Not even the fame? I bet you or Jason didn't expect that I would become a jerk."

"Well you always did have a bit of an ego."

"What?" Shane exclaimed. "I did not."

Nate nodded. "Yeah you sort of did Shane.

"I didn't know you back then but I know you now and you're not a jerk anymore and you still have an ego so I believe him." Mitchie agreed.

"Et tu, Mitchie?"

"Don't be so dramatic Shane. You know you have a big ego."

Shane scoffed. "That is a liable accusation and I suggest you retract it immediately."

Mitchie and Nate looked at each other, furrowed their brows and turned to give Shane a questioning stare.

Shane raised his eyebrows. "What? Don't look at me like that. I heard it on some TV show. I can be smart if I want to be!"

Nate and Mitchie exchanged silent glances again and Shane's jaw dropped. "Some friends you are. I think I might go hire some new ones." He huffed.

"You can't hire people to be your friends Shane." Mitchie responded.

"I'm Shane Gray, I can do anything I want to."

Mitchie rolled her eyes. "There's that ego."

Shane blinked a couple of times and then he frowned. "You guys suck. You totally tricked me!"

"Shane, every other sentence out of your mouth has to do with your ego." Nate remarked.

"That is so not true! I can be quite humble." Shane straightened up his back, raising his eyebrows slightly.

"I say, who is this Shane Gray that you speak of? For I have never heard of him." Shane went on in a ridiculously fake English accent.

"You're an idiot." Nate commented.

Shane slumped his shoulders and gave his best friend a look. "Is that anyway to treat a good friend of yours who is in the hospital?"

"Shane, eat your breakfast and shut up."

Shane sneered at him and picked up a piece of toast, nibbling on it quietly.

* * *

Nate stayed with them for an hour or two more and helped Mitchie drag Shane around the hospital. Then after they toured they whole tenth and ninth floors of the hospital, they allowed Shane to go back to his room and they sat around the room talking.

At around eleven thirty, Nate left to go wake Caitlyn up leaving Mitchie and Shane alone again.

A couple of days ago Mitchie brought her guitar down to the hospital so she could work on her songs and she'd let Shane play too. So, for the next hour or so, Mitchie and Shane sat on his bed and Shane gave his advice to Mitchie while she worked on a new song she had floating around in her head for a while.

Shane tapped his hand against the blankets as Mitchie strummed the guitar, singing lowly. Mitchie strummed a chord, then changed, made a face and tried another. She sighed heavily and let her hands drop. "That is where I'm stuck."

Shane wordlessly held out his hands and Mitchie handed the guitar over to him. He played the chords that she had played nearly seconds before effortlessly. He played around with a few chords and then began singing softly to the strumming. His voice was hoarse and weakened from not being used in weeks.

Mitchie's face lit up as she watched Shane continue her song and nodded in approval at what he was doing. "That's really good Shane." She praised him.

His lips cracked a smile but he didn't look up from the guitar and continued singing. After he was done with the verse he had created on the spot, he went back to the chorus that Mitchie had written and added a little bridge and finished with a slower version of the chorus and the last notes of his voice and the guitar rang through the room.

"What do you think?" Shane asked, looking up.

"I think it is brilliant." Mitchie replied, smiling. "You really are a natural at this."

Shane smiled and shrugged. "Yeah..I forgot how much I really liked sitting down and writing songs. I haven't done it in a really long time."

Mitchie cocked her head. "I though Connect 3 writes all their own music."

"Yeah, we do. But the last two years its been Nate and Jason who's been doing it. I used to write music for the first year but when I started changing I...didn't find the interest in it anymore."

"That's a shame...you're really talented."

"Thanks." He sighed quietly and then raised his eyebrows, a hopeful look on his face. "But I am going to get back into it now. Apparently, I'm still really good at it."

Mitchie nodded. "You are. What you added to the song I never would have been able to."

Shane made a face and was about to respond when there was a knock on the door. He inclined his head towards the door and Mitchie looked over her shoulder.

Caitlyn walked into the room, looking around curiously.

"Hey Cait." Mitchie greeted, confusion laced in her voice. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for Nate." Caitlyn responded.

"What do you mean you're looking for Nate?" Shane asked, his brow furrowing. "He left like two hours ago to wake you up."

Caitlyn frowned in confusion and walked into the room. "I found a note on the table telling me he was here."

Mitchie shrugged. "He's not here."

"His limo is outside."

Mitchie turned to look at Shane who was staring at Caitlyn, a confused look on his face.

"You sure?" Shane asked.

"Unless there's another limo with the license plate 'C3' then yes." Caitlyn nodded. "His driver was inside and I asked him where he was and he said that he hadn't seen him since he walked in here at a quarter to ten."

"Maybe he went to the bathroom?" Mitchie suggested.

"For two hours?" Shane asked skeptically and shook his head. "I don't think so."

"The cafeteria?" Mitchie suggested.

"Tried it."

"Did you try calling him?" Shane asked.

Caitlyn nodded. "Yeah...he didn't pick up." Her face contorted in concern and worry. "Did he say anything about me? Like, was he mad at me?"

Mitchie and Shane shook their heads. "No," Mitchie replied, "He seemed really excited about your day together."

Shane reached to the desk near his bed and grabbed his cell phone.

"What are you doing?" Caitlyn asked.

"I'm trying him again." Shane replied and waited as the phone rang in his ear. It rang for about forty seconds and then he heard that familiar click,

_Hello, you've reached Nate, I'm unavailable to - _

He snapped the phone shut, disconnecting the call and dialing another number. He bit his lip anxiously while Mitchie and Caitlyn watched him.

"Hey Gary it's Shane...yeah I'm fine...I was just wondering have you seen Nate?...Yeah I know he said he was leaving two hours ago...yea, we can't find him....really? you did?...oh okay....thanks man...yeah, sure." He sighed heavily and hung up.

"What?" Mitchie and Caitlyn asked anxiously.

"I called the man in charge of security downstairs...he said he saw Nate leave the hospital two hours ago." Shane explained.

Mitchie's brow furrowed and a horrified, worried expression crossed Caitlyn's face. "But...his limo..." She muttered.

"Maybe he went for a walk?" Mitchie whispered.

Shane shook his head. "Nate is not that stupid to walk around town where he knows our fans are around without security and he would've called Caitlyn if he knew he was going to be late."

Mitchie swallowed hard and slowly looked over to Caitlyn who looked like she just discovered her dog died.

"Then..." Mitchie spoke quietly. "Where is he?"


	27. Chapter 26

_**A/N: This chapter is a little short, sorry guys but at least its something right? Don't forget to review!

* * *

**_

Mitchie looked over her shoulder at Shane and Caitlyn behind her. They were sneaking down one of the fire escape stairwells to get downstairs without being seen by his fans. On top of that they found some gauze and wrapped Shane's head completely with it so his jet black hair could not be seen and pasty white hospital clothing. After a brief complaining from Shane of how ridiculous he looked, they started their way downstairs.

When they reached the ground floor, Mitchie stepped outside the door and looked around and saw a bunch of nurses and doctors wandering around but no signs of anyone else. She looked back over to Caitlyn and Shane and gave them a hand signal and they all walked out of the room.

They walked slowly down the hallway looking out for any signs of paparazzi or crazy fans. A nurse in purple scrubs walked past them, giving them a small smile. Then she paused, furrowed her brow and walked back to them. "Shane?"

The three teenagers paused and looked over to the nurse who had addressed them with all sheepish smiles.

The blonde walked over to them, a look of confusion on her face. "What are you guys doing down here? And why is your head wrapped in gauze?"

"Well Jane we wanted to go for a walk down here without Shane being bombarded by fans and paparazzi." Mitchie explained.

Jane nodded in understanding. She was one of the nurses that had taken care of Shane since he was first admitted and like most of the staff had long forgotten his famous status.

"I gotcha. Well have fun you guys. Shane I'll be up to check on you later okay?" Jane said looking at Shane.

Shane nodded and gave her a thumbs up, smirking. Jane gave them all a warm smile and continued on her way down the hall.

Shane's smirk fell and he looked back at the two girls and they brought their focus back to the matter at hand.

Nate was missing and no one knew where he was. Shane called the hotel he was staying at and they said they hadn't seen him, he called his mother and she hadn't seen him, and they tried to call Nate's phone again but there was still no answer.

They weaved their way through the hallways until they reached the main lobby. Shane held his breath for a few seconds and waited until somebody saw him but luckily no one had. They made their way through the lobby and towards the entrance, the mechanical doors opening as they approached.

Shane's eyes squinted as he stepped out into the bright sun. He hadn't been outside in the whole time he'd been in the hospital. He closed his eyes and relished in the feel of the sun. Just being out there for ten seconds had made him feel so much better. Until he felt a slap on his arm. He opened his eyes and glared at Caitlyn who rolled her eyes.

"Not the time Shane." She whispered and joined Mitchie a few paces up. He stuck his tongue out at her back but then realized she was right. He followed Caitlyn and the three stood there on the sidewalk, looking around the parking lot for any sign of Nate.

"See there is his limo." Caitlyn pointed to the black limo in the first row of cars. Shane nodded and looked both ways to make sure no cars were coming and then walked across the street of the parking lot towards the limo.

He knocked on the window the limo and the window slowly rolled down, revealing an annoyed looking Will. "Sorry kid this is not a free ride."

Shane shook his head. "No Will, man it's me Shane."

Will's annoyed look dropped as he examined Shane and then cocked his head. "Shane?"

"Yeah. I know I look kinda weird but its me."

Will's eyes widened and he sat up. "Mr. Gray I am so sorry. I didn't mean to speak to you like that."

Shane blinked, confused at the odd behavior and then realized that Will hadn't been around for his change of attitude. "No man its fine and please it's Shane." He noticed the look of surprise on his face but continued on with what he wanted to ask him.

"I know Caitlyn asked you this just before but have you seen Nate?" Shane asked.

Will shook his head, furrowing his brow and frowning. "No I haven't. I've been waiting out here for hours."

Shane sighed heavily. "Great." He muttered.

"He's missing?" Will asked alarmed.

"Yeah." Shane responded. "We have no idea where he is."

"Did you talk to security?" Will asked.

Shane nodded. "Yeah, no one has seen him. We're a little worried."

"I'll call the company and see if he called in for another limo." Will told him and Shane nodded.

"Thank you. Let me know if you find anything."

"Sure thing Mr. Gray."

Shane almost corrected him but he didn't and turned around to go back to Mitchie and Caitlyn who were watching him with anxious looks.

Shane shrugged helplessly and Mitchie and Caitlyn sighed heavily.

Shane furrowed his brow and looked past Mitchie and Caitlyn to the security guard standing outside of the hospital. When he was first admitted all the security guards on the hospital staff and the guards on his own personal squad were introduced to him so he could know who they would be but the man standing at the post didn't look familiar.

He pushed past Caitlyn and Mitchie and the girls gave him a confused look as he approached the security guard.

"Excuse me?"

The security guard looked over to him and raised an eyebrow. "Are you lost kid? Cuz you know the entrance is right there?" He pointed over to where the entrance could clearly be seen.

Shane resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Yes I am aware." He stated hardly. "My question is who are you?"

The other eyebrow joined his other at the top of his forehead. "Kid, I don't think thats any of your business."

Shane narrowed his eyes slightly. "I don't think you realize who you are talking to. My name is Shane Gray, I am a patient in this hospital and my manager is personally paying the hospital to keep security guards around here to guard me. I have been personally introduced to all of the guards except for you."

A look of realization slowly crossed the man's face. "Shane Gray huh?" He said with a small smirk. "Well I'm terribly sorry for the way I acted Mr. Gray. I am sorry we have not been properly introduced my name is Gabriel O'Connar, I was just recently employed here."

Shane's eyes narrowed further in suspicion. It could be possible that there was a new addition to the squad but he probably would have been notified about that.

Gabriel's face twisted up in a sweet smile. "You can be sure that no crazy fans of yours are getting through that entrance while I'm out here."

Shane nodded slowly, eyeing him suspiciously. "Yeah...thanks. See you later." He turned to walk away and then paused and turned around. "By the way have you seen a boy come out this way? He's about sixteen, curly hair, a few inches shorter than me?"

Gabriel pursed his lips and shook his head. "No sir. Saw nothing of the like but I'll be sure to keep an eye for you."

Shane nodded, turned around slowly and walked back to Mitchie and Caitlyn.

"What's wrong?" Mitchie asked seeing the look on Shane's face.

"I don't trust that guy. He says he is employed here but I would have known about it." Shane explained, looking over his shoulder to Gabriel again. Gabriel smiled at him and waved, grabbing onto his belt.

"Let's go down to security." Caitlyn suggested in a low voice. "We'll see if he is a real employee."

"Good idea." Mitchie agreed and with one last look at Gabriel, they all headed back inside.

Gabriel kept the smile plastered on his face until the kids disappeared into the building then his face fell. He looked around carefully and pulled a cell phone out of his pocket. He pressed a button and held it to his ear, still looking around.

"_What do you want?" _A voice snapped on the other line.

"I saw him, Shane, actually he came up to me."

"_Really?" _The man now sounded intrigued. _"What did he say?" _

"He wanted to know who I was. Said he didn't recognize me and then he asked about that curly headed kid."

The voice on the other end chuckled darkly. _"And what did you tell him?" _

"I told him that name you told me to use and told him I hadn't seen the boy."

"_Good. Now get out of there, Shane is a smart kid and he's going to be investigating who you are. If you're gone he can't do anything about it." _

"Sure thing boss." He looked around once more and then wandered off innocently towards the exit to the hospital. "I have a question."

"_What?" _The voice asked in exasperation.

"What's your deal with this kid? He seemed pretty nice to me."

"_Shut up Mason, I told you to never ask me that. It is none of your damn business." _

"You know boss, he does actually look a lot like you."

"_I am aware of that Mason." _He responded coldly.

Mason gasped slightly and lowered his tone to a whisper. "Are you making clones boss?"

There was a sigh from the other line. _"Mason, go eat a donut." __**Click. **_

Mason looked down at the phone and shrugged. If his boss said he should eat a donut, he'll go eat a donut.

Inside the hospital, Shane, Mitchie and Caitlyn all made their way towards the security headquarters. There were a few guards standing outside the door and once they saw Shane, gave him a curt nod and let him in.

"Shane Gray!" A heavy set man with balding orange hair, greeted them warmly. "Good to see you up and about son."

Shane smiled slightly and approached his desk. "Thanks Chief, I'm feeling alot better."

"Well that's just great. What can I do for you? Is there a problem with one of my guards?"

"Um, well sort of." Shane replied and Chief Murphy raised an eyebrow.

"There was a guard outside the hospital who I didn't recognize. Have you hired any one new recently?" Shane asked.

Chief Murphy shook his head immediately. "The last guy I hired was Eddie and you met him."

Shane nodded, remembering Eddie. "He said he was just recently hired and I was just a little concerned."

"What was his name?"

"Gabriel O'Connar."

"I have never heard of such a person." Chief Murphy responded, frowning. "Is he out there now?"

Shane nodded. "Yes sir."

Chief Murphy rose out of his seat and walked around his desk towards the door. He pulled open the door and addressed one of the guards standing outside.

"Pete, go to Post 1 and bring in a Mister Gabriel O'Connar, it seems we have man who is impersonating an officer."

Pete's eyes widened and he nodded obediently. "Right away Chief." He walked quickly down the hallway towards the lobby.

"Terribly sorry about all of this Mr. Gray. I swear it will not happen again."

Shane repressed a sigh at the use of his formal title for the third time that day. "It usually wouldn't be a problem except I'm afraid a friend of ours has gone missing."

"Missing?" Chief Murphy asked in alarm.

"Yes." Shane nodded. "We can't find him anywhere. He's not answering his cell phone and no one has seen him. I spoke to Gary earlier and he said he would look out for him and tell the other guards too as well."

Chief Murphy hummed in thought and then he poked his head out of the door again. "Ron, I want you to go pull around the car and take one of these young ladies out with you to find Mr. Gray's friend."

Ron, a middle aged man with graying hair, raised his hand to his forehead in a salute and then looked towards the girls.

Mitchie looked at Caitlyn and put her hand on her arm. "You go with him Cait."

Caitlyn smiled sadly and nodded, turning to walk with Ron towards the lobby.

Not a minute later, Pete came back with only himself and a confused, sorry look on his face. "I'm sorry Chief but there was no one out there. The post was completely empty. I looked around the parking lot but there was no sign of anyone."

Mitchie and Shane looked at each other in surprise and alarm.

"Are you sure?" Mitchie asked him worriedly.

"Yes, it looks like no one had been there for hours. I ran into Stan and he said that he left the post hours ago because some other guard came to relieve him."

Chief Murphy's face was turning the color of his hair as he clenched his jaw and Shane and Mitchie continued to stare at each other in worry.

Shane, because of standing and walking for too long, felt a twinge of pain in his side. He brought his hand to his side and then his eyes widened. "Oh no." He whispered in horror.

"What?" Mitchie asked, looking down to where his hand was. "Shane are you in pain?"

Shane shook his head, the same look of horror on his face. The shock and horror quickly turned into anger and hate as he narrowed his eyes dangerously. "But I know who has Nate."


	28. Chapter 27

The last thing Nate Black remembered was walking through the hallway hospital going to see Caitlyn when a security guard stopped him and asked him to come with him to ask him something. And then black.

He slowly started to wake up although his world was still a pitch black. He could feel the temperature around him and even though he could feel a cool hitting his skin, he felt he was on fire.

He willed his eyes to open but they seemed glued shut. He tried to call out for help but his mouth wouldn't move. The only sound was his thoughts screaming in his head.

He tried to move his hands but they felt like they were bound together. He wanted to get up and run but his legs felt like stone. He was even struggling to breathe a little bit.

The next thing that came to his conscious mind was sound. He could hear his own breathing, his own heartbeat and also something else. It sounded like someone else was breathing too.

He heard whispers and low rumbling voices that didn't sound like anything more than vibrations. He heard footsteps against what sounded like concrete.

In fact, up against his back and legs he could feel that concrete. Through his shirt and pants the rough cement was rubbing into his skin. He tried to move away by wriggling his body around but he only felt a slight falling sensation and then his head hit something hard.

He moaned aloud and that time he could actually hear his voice. His mouth was working again. He tried calling out but once again no sound would come out.

His eyelids felt less heavy and they slowly started to flutter open. The light hit his eyes and he could see the room through a thick haze of blur. He closed his eyes again, opened them a second later, the room still blurry. He opened and closed his eyes quite a few more times but the room remained blurry.

But through that blur he could see a figure approaching him. The figure kneeled down in front of him, cocked his head to the side and leaned in towards Nate's face.

As the figure got closer, Nate recognized the jet black hair and the shape of the face and the brown eyes. "Shane?" He questioned, his voice raspy.

The figure's lip's twitched upwards and he suddenly stood up out of Nate's focus. "Close." The figure responded.

"How was he close...?" He heard a low voice from the other end of the room and then heard something whip through the air and smack against something. "Ow!"

"I told you to be quiet!" The figure's voice hissed.

Nate closed his eyes and tried to sit up. From years and years of exercising and dancing he had a lot of body strength and he managed to push himself back up against the concrete wall.

Nate opened his eyes again and his surrounding were a little less blurry than before. "Who are you?"

"Not important."

"I beg to differ." Nate snapped.

"Well I see Shane is not the only one with an attitude problem." The figure responded and Nate followed him with his eyes as he paced the room.

"Well excuse me if my mother never taught me to be nice to someone who has kidnapped me." Nate retorted.

"Kidnapped? I did no such thing."

Nate scoffed. "Ha!"

"You willingly came with me. Or don't you remember? You did take a pretty nasty fall and hit your head I wouldn't blame you for getting a little confused."

Nate narrowed his eyes suspiciously still watching the blurry figure.

"But boss I thought..." **Thud.** "Ow!"

"If I came willingly then why am I tied up?" Nate asked.

"You started thrashing around wildly in your sleep. It was a precautionary action. I didn't want you to sleep walk and hurt somebody."

"Alright. I'm awake, now untie me." Nate ordered.

The figure hummed quietly and then sighed, "No can do."

"Why not?" Nate growled.

"Your obviously very upset. I do not wish for you to do anything rash."

"I'm not the violent type." Nate seethed quietly.

"Still I can take no chances. Mason over there is extremely important to me, I can't have you hurting him."

Nate squinted his eye to see the figure in the distance.

"Really?" The other man's voice was hopeful. "Well Boss I didn't know you felt that way...OW!"

"It seems to me like I'm not the one who is hurting him." Nate said, focusing back on the figure.

"Mason needs disciplinary action. Tough love, Nate. That's what I believe in."

"What do you want with me?" Nate finally asked. "I really don't understand what I'm doing here."

"It's nothing against you personally Nate." The figure responded. "In fact I'm sorry this had to be done."

Nate narrowed his eyes as his vision became more clear by the second. When he opened his eyes fully he took in his full surroundings. The room was made fully from concrete and in the corner he saw a light brown haired man standing in the corner and the dark haired man in the center, smirking at him.

With his fully cleared vision he could see why he confused the man for Shane earlier. If Shane was fifty, he would look like that.

Then, that was when it dawned on him. Who that man was. "You." Nate growled and the man lifted his eyebrows in surprised.

"Your Shane's father! Or his lame excuse for one!"

"It took you look enough Nathaniel, I thought you were supposed to be the smart one."

Nate struggled against his restraints and the ropes burned against his skin. He gritted his teeth together, pulling and trying to yank his hands out of the ropes.

Shawn continued to watch him from where he stood, his eyebrow quirked in amusement. "You'll never get out."

Nate lifted his head and glared at him. "What do you want with me?" He asked again.

"I'm not going to hurt you Nate I swear. You're not the one I have a problem with."

Nate continued to stare coldly at him. "What did Shane ever do to you?" He growled. "What did he do to deserve being almost murdered by his own father?" He spat.

Shawn narrowed his eyes and approached Nate quickly, stopping at a safe distance away. "He ruined my life." He hissed.

"How?" Nate questioned.

"He destroyed my family."

"He _is_ your family."

"Wrong, Nate, WRONG!" Shawn exclaimed. "He is not my family, he ruined my family!"

Nate shook his head in misunderstanding and stared at him curiously.

Shawn let out a breath and started to pace around the room. "You see Nathaniel, Danielle and I had a perfect plan that we would spend the rest of our lives together. I didn't want kids, she said she didn't either." His eyes darkened. "But then she announced she pregnant and she was..._happy_. Then when he was born, she spent all her time with him."

"He was a baby!" Nate cried. "They require loads of attention."

"Exactly!" Shawn whirled around to face him so quick, it made him and Mason jump. "He took away my life! As he got older I thought she might come back to me but then she had another one." He clenched his jaw and curled his fists into balls at his sides. "If she was going to love those little things more than me than well I would be gone."

"Then why didn't you just leave them alone? Why did you have to shoot him?" Nate asked, seething. "And abuse him?"

"Because I never stopped loving her. I wanted to destroy the thing that kept me from her. Why should I have to leave?"

"Shane and Caley are not _things_." Nate growled, narrowing his eyes. "They are human beings and more importantly they are your children!"

Shawn looked over his shoulder towards Nate with narrowed his eyes and then he sighed and his shoulders dropped. A look of boredom and annoyance crossed his face. "Well this chat was very lovely Nathaniel but I'm afraid I am needed elsewhere."

"What?" Nate cried in exasperation. "You're just leaving?"

Shawn paused near one of the walls and nodded. "Yeah. Don't worry though Mason here will you keep you company." He hitched his thumb over his shoulder towards Mason, who lifted his hand in a wave.

Shawn smirked, lifted two fingers to his head in a salute. "Good day Nathaniel."

Nate struggled against the ropes again as the concrete wall moved aside and Shawn disappeared, his mischievous laughter echoing through the room.

* * *

Shane and Mitchie sat on top of Shane's bed next to each other and holding each other's hand. Caitlyn sat in one of the chairs, with her knees pulled up to her chest and looking like she was about to cry.

After finding out who had taken Nate, Shane had called his mother, Caley and Connie down. Caley sat in the chair next to Caitlyn, looking worried and a little confused.

Danielle and Connie stood near the wall opposite Shane's bed silently looking around the room, their faces lined with worry. Even though Danielle had only met the sixteen year old a few times, Nate was like another son to her. He was practically Shane's brother they were such close friends. Jason stood next to Shane's bed, for once looking and acting his age of twenty. He stood in a guarded position almost like he was protecting his younger friend and his girlfriend.

The silence was suddenly broken when the door swung open and all seven heads turned to look at the door.

Chief Murphy walked in with several police officers behind him. One man with short black hair and a serious I-mean-business look on his face, stood next to Chief Murphy.

"Shane, everyone, this is Chief Lassiter. He will be over seeing your case." Chief Murphy explained and motioned for Lassiter to step forward.

" 'Afternoon Mr. Gray." He nodded curtly and took out his notepad. "I was informed that you are missing a friend of yours."

Shane nodded. "Yes sir. In fact we believe he was kidnapped."

"Kidnapped?" Chief Lassiter's eyebrows raised in surprise. "What bring you to that conclusion?"

"He simply disappeared." Shane explained. "He left here about a quarter to eleven and we haven't seen him since. We've tried calling him and anywhere he would go to. Caitlyn," he motioned to Caitlyn sitting in the corner and Chief Lassiter looked over his shoulder at her, "is his girlfriend and he was supposed to spend the day with her but he never showed up."

Chief Lassiter nodded as he jotted down the information quickly. "And what is the supposed victim's name?"

"Nathaniel Black." Shane answered.

"Do you have any suspects of his kidnapping?" Chief Lassiter asked.

Shane clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes. "Shawn Gray." He spat the name.

Chief Lassiter nodded for a moment and then looked up, perplexed. "Gray? Isn't that your..."

"Yes." Shane answered quickly, cutting him off. "He is my father." He chocked out. "And he is also the one who shot me and landed me in the hospital. He has some pointless vendetta against me and there is no one else who would kidnap Nate."

Out of the corner of his eye he could see his mother's mouth covered by her hand and her eyes wide and filled with tears, turning her head into Connie's shoulder.

Mitchie's mother wrapped her arm around her new friend and rubbed her shoulder comfortingly trying to remain calm herself.

"Do you have any idea where this man might be located?"

"Well he can't be too far away right?" Mitchie piped up quietly. "I mean he was only kidnapped a couple of hours ago."

"Yes but Shawn is good at running, hiding and not being found." Shane answered.

"I will have my men search for him...do you happen to have a picture of him or someone that could describe him accurately."

A sniffle erupted from against the wall and Danielle raised her hand slowly. "I have not kept a picture of him since he left us but I will be able to describe him."

"I beg your pardon ma'am but you are...?"

"I'm Shane's mother...Shawn's wife."

Chief Lassiter nodded and looked over his shoulder and a blonde female dressed in a business outfit stepped forward. "Mrs. Gray this is Detective O'Harra, if you don't mind she will be questioning you along with Officer Dan." A young cop with a sketch pad stepped forward next to Detective O'Harra and Danielle nodded.

She gave a look to Shane and then followed Detective O'Harra and Officer Dan out of the room.

"He looks like an older version of me." Shane said and Chief Lassiter raised his eyebrows.

Mitchie nodded in agreement. "I've seen him, he does."

"Thank you for that information Shane, with that and the sketch we will be getting from your mother I'm sure we'll be able to find him."

"Thank you Chief."

Chief Lassiter nodded. "Now if you don't mind I would like to know more information."

* * *

Nate stared blankly in front of him, the grey concrete becoming just a big blur of grey. How long had he been sitting there? He didn't know. Hours? Days? It was hard to tell.

One way or another he was sure of one thing. He was hungry. At first he didn't notice it as his mind was continuously thinking about how to get out of his predicament but then as time grew on and his mind grew blank, he became aware of how empty his stomach was and how dry his mouth was. He licked lips constantly but that didn't do a thing.

He kept trying to break free from the ropes but whoever tied them tied them tightly.

Nate glanced up from the concrete and looked over to the corner where the man hadn't moved in the whole time he'd been there.

When he saw Nate looking at him, Mason smiled slightly. Nate narrowed his eye and cocked his head to the side.

"What are you doing?" Nate called to him.

"I'm standing here." Mason responded.

Nate resisted the urge to roll his eyes and sighed. "Literally yes but I mean what are you doing?"

Mason now seemed confused, how brow furrowing.

"With that creep." Nate elaborated.

"Do you mean Boss?" Mason inquired.

"Yes." Nate answered.

Mason shrugged. "He pays me well."

"Money? You're in this for money?" Nate shook his head, disgusted. "You do realize that he almost murdered somebody."

Mason blinked a couple of times, remaining quiet.

"His own _son._"

"Well that kid ruined his life."

"He ruined his own life." Nate retorted. "You know that. Shane is a kid and didn't do anything."

Mason looked down at the ground for a few seconds, a thoughtful look on his face. "He did seem pretty nice."

"Wait you met Shane?"

Mason looked up again and nodded. "At the hospital. He was looking for you."

"He saw you?" Nate asked and Mason nodded again.

Nate smirked and didn't say anything else. As egotistical as Shane could be he was a smart kid and he probably found out by now who had taken him. That thought alone kept Nate sane. He knew it wouldn't be long before they police showed up and took away Shawn forever.

"Hey aren't you that kid from that band?" Mason suddenly asked bringing Nate's attention back to him. "Uh...Connect 4?"

Another sigh. "Connect 3 and yeah. So is Shane."

"No." Mason's eyes widened and if it was anyone else, Nate would have believe they were being sarcastic with him.

Nate nodded. "Yes. He's the lead singer and I'm his band mate."

"I knew he looked familiar..." Mason muttered. "I love your music you know. I took my sister to one of your concerts once."

"You know your sister would be very upset with you if she knew that you were hurting her favorite band members."

Mason's face twisted up. "I'm not hurting you."

Nate shrugged. "Well you almost are. You're helping him so you are hurting me and Shane too."

Mason furrowed his brow. "Those ropes are hurting you huh?"

Nate nodded a bit. "They really are."

Mason looked toward one of the walls, bit his lip and then walked slowly towards Nate. Nate lifted his eyebrows, watching Mason with cautious eyes.

Mason kneeled down in front of him and took a pocket knife out of one of the slots on his belt. He cut the ropes tied around his ankles. "I shouldn't really be doing this. Boss said you should always be tied up."

"Well your boss is insane and not be allowed near any human being." Nate responded.

Mason quickly glanced up at him as the ropes fell to the ground. Nate groaned and stretched out his legs and then leaned forward so Mason could cut the ropes around his hands.

The ropes fell to the ground and Nate let out a sigh of relief and brought his hands in front of him. He took a look at his pink and marked wrists and rubbed them lightly.

He slowly rose to his feet and stretched out his body, Mason watching him carefully.

"Thanks." Nate muttered, glancing down at the man.

"Sure thing." Mason answered and stood up, going to walk back over to his corner.

"Hey, I have a question." Nate called out to him to stop him. Mason paused only a few feet from him and looked back at him questioningly.

"Why did he kidnap me? What was the point?"

"He said that because Shane took away the person he loved he'd take someone who was important to Shane."

"If that was the case why didn't he take Mitchie?" Not that he would want that. Nate would be kidnapped a million times over to keep Mitchie safe.

"Who is Mitchie?" Mason asked, confused.

"She is Shane's girlfriend. He's absolutely crazy about her."

Mason shrugged. "Maybe he didn't know."

"Maybe." Nate agreed thoughtfully.

Suddenly he felt something rubbing against his leg through his pocket. He reached down and felt the familiar shape of his cell phone. He looked down at his jeans in surprise. Was Shawn really so dumb as to leave him with his cell phone? He guessed so. He smirked and then tried to hide with a cough, looking up at Mason.

"Hey do you by any chance know where we are?"

"Some old abandoned factory. I told boss not to use it." His face scrunched up and he shook his head. "I think its haunted." He whispered.

Nate smirked again and nodded in response to his statement. He knew exactly what factory he was talking about. They'd passed it coming to and fro the hospital every day, the first time Jason even said it was haunted and shuddered every time they passed it.

Nate slowly walked over to the opposite corner of the wall and slid down, bring his knees up and pulling his phone out of his pocket and resting it on his lap.

He quickly glanced up at Mason who was now examening his fingernails and then looked back down at his phone.

He'd put it on silent when he got to the hospital that morning because of hospital policy. He pressed a button and the screen lit up and said that he had 15 missed calls and 10 text messages.

The last one he had gotten was from Shane, so quickly pressed reply and typed a message.

* * *

Chief Lassiter had been questioning them for about an hour, asking any questions he could think of to get information.

Danielle had come back into the room with Detective O'Hara and Officer Dan and they asked Shane to confirm the sketch of Shawn. Shane nodded, telling them that it was very accurate description.

Chief Lassiter ordered some of the officers to go out and search all of the surrounding towns to look for the man in question.

Detective O'Hara took Caitlyn and Mitchie out one by one to question them while Chief Lassiter questioned Shane.

"Okay, final question did you...?"

He was cut off by the loud buzzing of Shane's phone vibrating against the desk. Shane quickly glanced at it and would have ignored it but he saw the familiar name and grabbed it quickly.

Chief Lassiter stared at him in confusion as Shane's wide eyes read the text message.

_It's me I'm ok. at the old factory. he's here. bring PAL. _

PAL was the code name the boys had created to talk about security. Only Nate, Shane, and Jason and their security guards knew of PAL. That is what made Shane know that it was really Nate and not some trick.

Shane looked up to the questioning eyes of the room. "It's Nate."

_**A/N: As you can tell I'm in the cliff hanger mood. Many of you have guessed who it was already so there's your confirmation. Next chapter will conclude the drama part of this story I promise! No more crazy plot twists! **_

_**Whoever guesses where the names of the Police Officers came from gets points for being awesome!  
**_

_**Review please!**_


	29. Chapter 28

_**A/N: The chapter you have all been waiting for! Yay! Next chapter will get back to normalcy! I have a question for you though, I really would like your input so after you've read this chapter go check the poll on my profile! **_

_**Now have fun and enjoy this chapter!**_

* * *

Nate sighed for about the hundredth time in the last five minutes. After he had sent the text message to Shane it had only taken thirty seconds for him to get a message back that read: _on our way_

Now all he had to do was wait.

And waiting seemed to be taking forever.

He couldn't believe that as much as an evil genius Shawn was, the guy still left him with his cell phone. Nate wondered how that could have possibly slipped his mind. Then again, he guessed Nate wouldn't be able to break out of his ropes to get access to his cell phone. Or maybe there was the possibility that Shawn didn't consider that he had a cell phone, maybe Shawn was not technologically savvy.

And, Nate realized as he watched him beat a rock to death with his knife, Shawn's partner wasn't too bright either. After all, Nate was able to trick him into cutting him loose. Nate smirked as he suddenly thought of something.

"Hey!" He called out to Mason on the other side of the room.

Mason looked up, holding the knife firmly in his hand. To anyone else, it would have been frightening but Nate knew better.

"How much money is this guy paying you exactly?" Nate asked.

"Enough." Mason replied, going back to chop at the rock with his knife.

"There is no where else you could have gotten a job?"

Mason paused again and slowly looked up to him. "Making money is not as easy as you think. Not everyone can have millions of dollars handed to them on a silver platter."

Nate knew Mason was talking about him and realized that maybe Mason isn't as dumb as he thought.

"This economy sucks." Mason continued, slamming his knife down onto the rock, sending pieces flying everywhere.

"So you resort to kidnapping and murder?" Nate asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I didn't murder anyone!" Mason cried frantically, jumping to his feet.

"Shawn almost murdered Shane." Nate replied.

Mason narrowed his eyes slightly. "I was not around for that. I didn't even know what he was doing. I was completely in the dark until he told me about you."

"Me?" Nate asked, surprised.

"Until he told me to kidnap you." Mason elaborated. "He told me it was to get back at Shane since his first plan didn't work out. I didn't even know what that plan was until you said it to him."

"You had no idea what was going on?" Nate asked furrowing his brow. "And you went along with it?"

"I didn't know it was going to be anything that harsh." Mason replied quietly, sinking back down to the ground. "I thought he was going to do some innocent revenge."

"Kidnapping is innocent revenge?" Nate inquired skeptically.

"That's when I realized what's going on wasn't exactly innocent." Mason answered, staring at the ground. "By then it was too late to back out."

"It's never too late." Nate replied.

Mason's lips curled up in a bitter smirk. "You've seen what Shawn can do. If I quit he'd surely do it to me too."

"So its not just about the money? It's about your life." Nate concluded.

Mason looked up at him slowly, not saying a word but his silence confirmed it.

Nate got up and started to walk over to him. Mason's eyes widened and his hand flew to the knife he left on the ground, as if he had forgotten that he had untied Nate.

Nate faltered for a moment seeing his hand fly to his knife, but then continued on his way. He kneeled down in front of Mason and placed his hand on his knee.

"There is always a way out." Nate told him and Mason shook his head.

"I've dug myself in deep, kid."

"Maybe you can't climb out yourself but there will always be someone on the outside who will be willing to throw you down a rope." Nate explained.

Mason's brow furrowed in confusion at the metaphor.

Nate sighed again. "Here's the deal. You'll help me and I'll help you."

"How?" Mason questioned.

"You get me out of here and I'll help you break free of Shawn." Nate said.

Mason's eyes widened. "Get...get you out of here? Like help you escape? Oh no." He shook his head, his eyes wide with fright as he scrambled to his feet. "No, no, no, no, no." He walked past Nate, running his hands through his hair. "Are you kidding me?" He whirled back to Nate. "It was bad enough that I freed you from those ropes if Shawn found out that I helped you escape...he would KILL me. Literally."

Nate stood up and walked towards him slowly. "Is Shawn here? Still in the building?"

"Um...well...no."

"Where is he?"

"He has a small house a few miles away. He does all his planning and stuff there." Mason replied and his eyes widened. "I should not have told you that!" He cried and backed away quickly.

"No, no! It's good that you did. Look, your boss left me with my cell phone. I texted Shane and he's bringing the police."

"The police?" Mason whispered, horrified. He continued to back up until he hit the wall and he slid down. "No. No. No I can't go to jail. No." He buried his face in his hands and his body started shaking.

Nate frowned as he watched the man break down and he was about to say something to him when he heard a banging up against the wall.

Mason's head whipped up and he stared at the wall, frozen with horror and shock. Nate turned to look at the wall, praying and hoping that it wasn't Shawn.

The wall started to shake and crumble and Nate backed away to stand at the opposite wall, pressing himself against the concrete tightly.

Nate yelped as the wall exploded and he knelt down to the ground, covering his hands with his head to shield himself from the flying debris.

"There he is!" He heard a voice and lifted his head and saw several police men enter the room. Two officers rushed toward him and one man stood in the center of the room, looking toward Mason who was still in the same position he was before.

"Arrest that man!" The man in the center of the room shouted and pointed towards Mason.

Two other cops behind him, rushed into the room towards Mason and Mason cowered into the wall.

"No!" Nate cried. "Don't!"

Everyone paused, including the cop with the handcuffs near Mason. Mason was shaking as he looked over to Nate.

"He's a victim here." Nate explained, looking over to the man in the center, who he guessed was the chief. "Like me."

Chief Lassiter looked at Nate in suspicion and then over to Mason who was still shaking. He pursed his lips and then sighed. "Very well then leave him be."

The cop near Mason looked down at him and then shoved the handcuffs back into his pocket and walked back towards Chief Lassiter.

The two officers near Nate grabbed onto his arms and helped him up. "Don't worry son, you're safe now." The man on his left told him.

Nate nodded and gently tugged his arm away. "I know its okay I'm alright." He pulled away from them and walked over to Mason.

Mason looked up at him, and Nate extended his hand towards him. Mason stared at it for a few seconds and then placed his hand in Nate's and Nate helped him to his feet.

Nate smiled up at him slightly and Mason smiled back. "Why?" He whispered.

"I told you. You help me, I'll help you."

They shared another smile and they both started walking towards Chief Lassiter. Chief Lassiter gave Mason another skeptical look but then he just turned and started to walk out. Nate and Mason followed them, both of them surrounded by officers as they walked out of the factory and into sunlight.

"NATE!" He heard a familiar cry and he looked through the police men to where Caitlyn, Mitchie, Connie and Danielle stood by a police car. He felt a sudden rush of emotion and seeing Caitlyn and he pushed past the officers and ran towards her.

Caitlyn left Mitchie's side and ran towards Nate and they met in the middle, Caitlyn throwing her arms around him and Nate hugging her tightly.

Caitlyn buried her face into his chest, sobbing out of relief and Nate buried his face into her shoulder.

"Nate." Caitlyn whimpered into his chest. Nate was shocked to the say the least at Caitlyn's behavior. Never had he seen her so vulnerable and weak. He hugged her tighter because of that.

"Its okay Caity, I'm alright." He whispered into her hair and kissed the top of her head. "I'm here, I'm okay."

Caitlyn lifted her head and tears were streaming down her face. "I thought I would never see you again." She cried and shook her head. "I thought something bad would happen."

Nate lifted one of his hands to the side of her face and wiped away her tears. "I would never leave you Caity. I'm right here and I'll always be here I promise."

Caitlyn whimpered again and threw her arms around him again, holding him tightly to her. Nate closed his eyes and rested his head on top of hers, whispering comforting words to her.

Their tender reunion was disrupted by a shout from Mitchie.

"That's him Chief!" Nate looked up and saw Mitchie pointing to Mason. "That is the man who kidnapped Nate!"

Caitlyn lifted her head, looking over Nate's shoulder and nodded in agreement. "That's him."

Chief Lassiter looked at Mason whose face scrunched up in terror. Mason swallowed hard and looked pleadingly at Nate.

Nate pulled away from Caitlyn and walked back over to Chief Lassiter and Mason. "This man is innocent." He claimed surely.

"But.." Caitlyn protested.

"He was forced to work for my real kidnapper, Shawn Gray. His life was threatened he felt he had no other choice." Nate explained. "He can lead you to where Shawn is."

"Is this true?" Chief Lassiter asked Mason.

Mason bowed his head and muttered, "Yes sir. I was working for Shawn but I did not want to. Nor did I know what exactly was going on. If I had I never would have agreed. I do not wish to live this life anymore and I can tell you where Shawn is. I never wanted to hurt Shane or Nate. I am thankful to Nate for saving my life."

Chief Lassiter narrowed his eye slightly, eyeing Mason carefully. Mason shifted awkwardly under Chief Lassiter's gaze and avoided looking at his face.

Then Chief Lassiter nodded. "Alright. We have our lead."

* * *

Mason slowly walked down the sidewalk that led to Shawn's house. It was in the slum part of the town and not many houses were around and the houses that were were foreclosed and no one lived there.

His eyes widened as he stepped foot in front of Shawn's house and he looked over his shoulder to where Chief Lassiter and a few of men stood. Chief Lassiter waved him on encouragingly and then Mason turned to look ahead of him. Although he couldn't see them he knew more police men were hiding behind one of the foreclosed houses.

Mason took a deep breathe and started up the broken pathway that led to Shawn's house. He took a few breaths to try and collect himself and hoped he could act.

The plan he and the police department had created was that Mason would run up to Shawn's house, afraid, and tell him that Nate escaped and the police were on their way. That would send Shawn running out of the house and straight into the police's handcuffs.

Mason only hoped he could pull it off.

He sucked in another breath and as he started pounding on the door, he realized there was no need for him to pretend to be scared because he was absolutely terrified.

"Boss! BOSS!" He cried frantically still pounding at the door.

"What?" Shawn snapped as the door flung open. "Why the hell are you here? And why aren't you back with the boy?"

"The boy escaped boss! I tried to stop him but he called the police! I saw them on the way and I led them North but boss, it won't be long before they start heading down this way!" Mason exclaimed, reciting the lines that Chief Lassiter and Detective O'Harra had gone over with him.

"What?" Shawn exclaimed. "You idiot!" He slammed the door against the wall and Mason jumped. Shawn disappeared into the house for a few seconds and came back with a bag. "You can never do anything right can you?" He yelled at Mason and pushed past him.

As Shawn started to run across the lawn, Mason ran forward and waved his hand towards Chief Lassiter, giving him a signal.

As Shawn kept running and came towards the next house over, the men hiding there stepped out blocking his way, holding up their guns.

Shawn skidded to a halt and his eyes widened. He glanced at the police men and started to walk backwards and turned around to run the other way but he was met with Chief Lassiter and his men blocking him from that side. He turned in a ninety degree angle and started to run but the officers were quick to move and suddenly Shawn was trapped in a circle.

He was breathing heavily as he spun around in the circle trying to find a way out.

"Shawn Gray." Chief Lassiter spoke up. "You are under arrest for attempted murder and kidnapping. Put your hands behind your back."

Shawn looked around frantically, his eyes wide and crazy. Then he slowly dropped his bag and put his hands behind his back. An officer stepped forward and handcuffed him and then pushed him forward and out of the circle, all the while still holding onto him.

"You have the right to remain silent." The officer told him, leading him to the police car. "Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law."

As the officer opened the back of the police car, Shawn lifted his head and looked over to Chief Lassiter. Standing next to him was Mason. Mason's face showed pride and confidence up until Shawn glared coldly at him. Mason then shrunk out of fear and stepped behind Chief Lassiter.

The officer pushed Shawn into the police car and slammed the door closed. Through the glass of the window Shawn continued to glare at Mason to which Mason glanced down at the ground, staying there until the police car pulled away and disappeared down the road.

Chief Lassiter turned around and clapped Mason on the shoulder. "Well done."

Mason looked up, surprised for a moment and then he smiled softly. Chief Lassiter smiled a bit and patted his shoulder lightly.

"We're done here men." Chief Lassiter addressed the officers.

"You're going to let me go?" Mason asked hopefully.

Chief Lassiter turned back to look at him and nodded. "Indeed I am. You're a very lucky man, I wouldn't do that for just anybody."

Mason beamed. "Thank you Chief, I appreciate it."

Chief Lassiter nodded. "Yeah, don't mention it. Now Nate wants to talk to you."

"He does?" Mason asked, a hint of nervousness in his voice.

"He's right over there." Chief Lassiter pointed to where Nate, Caitlyn, Mitchie, Connie and Danielle were standing.

Mason nodded quietly and took a breath and started to walk over to them.

Nate looked up and smiled at seeing Mason approaching them. Mason looked nervous and a little frightened and Nate chuckled softly.

"You wanted to talk to me Nate?"

"You shouldn't look so afraid of a sixteen year old boy, Mason." Nate laughed softly.

Mason only continued to stare at him silently and Nate smiled reassuringly.

"What would you say about a getting a real job?" Nate questioned.

Mason's eyebrows shot up. "A real job? Where?"

"With me." Nate replied and Mason's eyebrows shut up further.

"With...with you? What do you mean?"

"You are a very noble and brave person Mason. I'd be honored to have you as a part of my security team."

The others around him stared at Nate like he was crazy but Mason broke out into a grin.

"Really?"

"Really." Nate confirmed and he yelped as he was suddenly swept up into a tight hug by Mason.

Mason's strong arms swung Nate around like a rag doll and Nate coughed as he tried to get Mason's attention. "Um...Mason? Can you um...put me down now? Sort of...can't breathe."

"Oh sorry!" Mason dropped him to his feet and Nate wobbled on his feet for a few seconds. He shook his head to clear his dizzy head and then looked up to Mason who looked apologetic.

"It's okay just...don't do that again."

"You got it boss."

Nate raised an eyebrow. He didn't want to be called boss especially because it was Mason called Shawn. "It's Nate, Mason, please."

Mason smiled warmly and nodded. "Okay Nate."

Nate smiled softly and then turned around to face Mitchie, Caitlyn, Connie and Danielle. "Now if you all don't mind, I would like to go home."

* * *

_**A/N: Don't forget to review and check the poll on my profile!**_


	30. Chapter 29

_**A/N: I did it again! I am such a horrible person! -cries- I do not deserve all you awesome, dedicated readers and reviewers. I do so apologize for the lack of updates in the last month. My mind wanders a lot and I have other fanfictions and other fandom's that I am dedicated to. (Speaking of, if you watch the TV phenomenon 'Glee' and ship the pairing of Will/Emma go to my profile and check out my fics and see what has distracted me from this fic ) I'm done with my shameless plugging and here's another note: **_

_**The poll on my profile has much confused me because most of the time the answers were tied. But now the winner by one vote is 'sequel' so that is the winner. Considering that this story is almost at 30 (technically this IS 30) I decided a new story would be best. A story needs its rising action, climax and falling action. The rising action were the first 15, the climax were the next 10 or so and the falling will be the next chapter or two or how many it takes to get to the end of the story. I know i have almost fifty chapters in 'Cyber Trouble' for those who read that but that basically is a lot of fluff chapters that have nothing really do with the plot and I just keep the plot going and going and going and...well yes you get the point. I didn't want to do that with this story so it will be coming to an end soon and hopefully I do not desert you on the sequel. **_

_**Without further adue:

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Shane glared at the wall ahead of him. He couldn't believe it. His best friend had been kidnapped by his father and Shane could not do anything about it. His girlfriend along with his mother had gone along to find Nate but he had to remain back stuck in the stupid hospital bed.

He heard Jason pacing around the room, the older boy had offered to stay with Shane so he wouldn't have to be alone waiting for the news.

Shane turned his gaze away from the wall and to Jason. He had a half a mind to tell him to stop pacing but he decided against it. Yelling at Jason wouldn't help, Jason was just as worried as he was about their youngest band mate.

Shane felt absolutely helpless and sick to his stomach. For all he knew, Shawn could have pulled a gun on Nate the same way he pulled a gun on him. Maybe no one was around Nate to help him like Brown was around to help Shane. Maybe Nate was suffering in pain and slowly dying. Maybe Nate was already dead.

He pushed back the bile that started rising in his throat. He closed his eyes and curled up his fists.

He never thought this would happen. Those two years he had said not a kind word to the curly headed sixteen year old. If Nate was dead, he'd never be able to forgive himself. Not only because it was his fault but because he wasted two years that he could have spent hanging out with the boy who was practically his brother.

"Shane?" He felt a hand on his shoulder and he opened his eyes to find that the room was blurry and so was Jason who was standing next to him.

He blinked and his cheek was suddenly wet. Jason's face scrunched up in concern and Shane angrily whipped his hand up and wiped at the tears.

"It'll be alright Shane." Jason's voice was surprisingly calm. He was the oldest and he was the one who had to remain strong in the time of weakness and panic.

"How do you know that?" Shane snapped harshly and Jason winced, glancing at the ground.

"You don't know that!" Shane cried. "Nate could be anywhere right now, he could be hurt, he could be _dead_ and it'd be all my fault."

Jason looked up with a furrowed brow. He took a seat next to Shane on his bed and stared his friend in the eyes. "What happened to Nate is not your fault Shane."

"It is my fault!" Shane exclaimed. "It is because its my father! He came after me first and then he went after Nate! It could have been you Jason, it could have Mitchie or Caitlyn or anyone that was close to me! He wants to hurt me, Jason! And he's hurting my friends to do it!" Tears continued a hot trail down his cheeks and neck and he didn't bother stopping them.

"Nate's okay, Shane. We got a text from him remember? He said he was fine." Jason tried to calm his hysterical friend.

"So what?" Shane hissed, narrowing his eyes, taking his anger out unnecessarily on his kind hearted friend. "That was a half an hour ago Jase, anything could have happened! Shawn could have found out and shot him!"

Jason winced again at Shane's harsh tone and licked his lips, staring at the blanket. "I don't think that happened Shane." He shook his head, looking sure of himself and turned to glance at Shane. "I have a feeling."

Shane scoffed and rolled his eyes, casting his gaze away.

"Look, in a few minute they're going to come through that door, Nate with them. I just know it, Shane. I do, I just know it. Trust me."

Shane slowly looked over at Jason and into his puppy dog eyes. Jason had an innocent little smile on his face, a smile however simple was sincere. Jason might not always be the sharpest tool in the shed but his heart was one hundred percent true. You could always trust Jason, no matter what.

Shane licked his lips, tasting the salty tears and his face softened. He let out a deep, shaky breath and then he nodded. "I trust you Jase."

Jason beamed and clapped Shane on the shoulder where his hand still rested. Shane returned a small smile and wiped at his tear stained face.

"I hate waiting." Shane grumbled about ten minutes later. Jason looked up at him from his place on the chair across the room and smirked.

Shane rolled his eyes and slammed his hands down on the bed, "I mean someone could text me and let me know what's going on instead of leaving me in the dark!"

"Maybe they all dropped their phones in a lake." Jason offered and Shane slowly turned his head to look at Jason, cocking an eyebrow.

"And then they were eaten by ducks." Jason added with a nod. Shane narrowed his eyes in question and Jason shrugged, "Could happen."

Shane rolled his eyes and ignored the comment. He let out a frustrated sigh and threw his head back, missing the pillows and hitting the wall.

He groaned and lifted his head, rubbing the sore spot. Jason lifted his eyebrows and tisked. "You shouldn't do that Shane, you'll give yourself a headache."

Shane paused and narrowed his eyes at Jason. "Shut up."

Jason shrugged and held up his hands innocently. "I'm just giving some friendly advice."

Shane clenched his jaw and closed his eyes tightly, trying to push back the headache that was surely to come.

He didn't know how long he had closed his eyes for but suddenly he felt Jason's shaking his arm. Shane's eyes fluttered open, his eyes straining from grogginess. He didn't even realized he had drifted off.

"What?" He mumbled to Jason who was grinning at him.

"Look who's here."

Shane blinked a few times and then looked around the room. His eyes settled on a curly haired boy, smiling and waving at him.

"Nate!" Shane exclaimed and leaped out of the bed, running over to him and pulling him into a hug.

Nate half laughed and half coughed as he was squeezed by his friend. "Shane." He squeaked and pushed at his chest. "Dude, loosen the grip."

Shane pulled away holding Nate by his shoulders and smiling at him tearfully. "You're alright."

Nate smiled and nodded. "Perfectly fine. Some rope burn but other than that, I'm great."

Shane sighed in relief and pulled him into another hug, this time gentler. Nate stood there blinking in surprise for a moment before he hesitantly wrapped his arms around Shane.

"Since when are you so touchy-feely?"

"Since I almost lost my best friend." Shane was quick to reply as he pulled back out of the hug a moment later.

Nate smirked, his eyes lighting up. "I thought group hugs were Jason's thing."

Suddenly Jason gasped from behind them and the two boys turned to look at him. Jason had a big grin on his face and Nate and Shane quickly looked at each other.

"Oh no." They muttered to each other as Jason ran over to them.

"Group hug!" He exclaimed and wrapped his arms around both of them, pulling them into his chest.

Shane and Nate muttered a cry of protest for a few moments and then gave into the hug. They wrapped one arm around Jason and then one arm around each other grateful to have the band finally back together.

"Wait..where are the others?" Shane asked as they pulled out of the hug.

"They thought they'd give me some time alone with you guys." Nate replied. "After all you were probably worried sick about me."

"Yeah!" Shane lightly punched Nate in the arm, mockingly glaring at him. "What was up with that? No text, no call, no 'I'm fine Shane'."

Nate smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "I thought the element of surprise would be best."

"You were wrong." Shane retorted and Jason laughed.

"Yeah Nate, you should have seen it, Shane had a total meltdown."

Shane snapped his gaze to Jason and glared at him. Nate raised his eyebrows curiously.

"A meltdown?"

Shane sighed as he turned to explain it but Jason butt in, "He was blaming himself for your kidnapping and saying you were dead and everything."

Nate cocked an eyebrow and Shane glared at Jason once more before turning back to Nate. "I was just really worried about you."

"It wasn't your fault Shane." Nate said.

"It sort of was Nate, my father was the one to kidnap you. If he wasn't after me, it wouldn't have happened."

Nate rolled his eyes and shrugged. "Shawn's a psycho. It was all his doing and it had nothing to do with you...well it did but I don't blame you for it. I wasn't hurt and that's all that is important. That and psycho is being locked up."

"He is?" Shane asked hopefully.

Nate nodded. "Yeah, the coppers caught him. He's going to jail for a very, very long time."

Shane sighed in relief, closing his eyes for a moment. "Thank God."

There was a knock on the door and Mitchie's voice spoke, "May we come in?"

"Sure." Nate waved her in. "Come on in."

Mitchie walked into the room followed by Caitlyn, Connie, Danielle and Mason. Shane smiled as he locked eyes with Mitchie but then his eyes fell upon Mason.

His smile was quick to drop and his eyes narrowed. "You!" He growled and started at him but Nate stepped in front of him.

"Shane stop."

"But he-!"

"He helped turn in Shawn." Nate cut in, explaining.

Shane furrowed his brow and glanced between Nate and Mason, who was wearing an official security guard outfit.

"He's one of the good guys." Mitchie said and Shane continued to stare at Mason with narrowed eyes.

Mason shifted under his intense gaze and glanced at Nate pleadingly.

"It's okay Shane." Nate reassured him.

"How is it okay? This guy kidnapped you Nate!" Shane exclaimed glaring furiously and Mason winced, taking a few steps back.

"I know, I know he did but he's not a bad guy. He didn't know that Shawn hurt you and he didn't want to be a part of this. He's a part of our security team now."

Shane snapped his gaze to Nate and gave him an incredulous look. "You have GOT to be kidding me!"

"I never intended to hurt anybody." Mason spoke up quietly and everyone turned to look at him. "What Nate said is the truth Shane, I had no idea where Shawn was when he attempted to kill you and I didn't even want to be a part of Nate's kidnapping -"

"But you were!" Shane cut him off with a growl.

"And for that I'm truly sorry." He bowed his head, playing with his fingers. "I know you don't trust me now but overtime I hope to prove to you that I am trustworthy."

"Yeah good luck with that one." Shane muttered bitterly.

"Shane!" Danielle scolded her oldest child and he rolled his eyes as he headed back to his bed. The others in the room shared a worried glance, they all recognized Shane's attitude. Bits of pieces of his former lifestyle broke through and they all hoped that Shane would not be returning to a jerk.

Nate walked over to Mason and placed a hand on his back. "Maybe you should go for a little while. Let Shane cool off. The head of our security, Big Bob, will let you know when you can return."

Mason nodded in understanding and turned to walk out of the room. Once Mason was out of the room and the door was closed, Nate turned to give an exasperated look to Shane.

Shane raised his eyebrows in surprise. "What are you mad at me for? You're the one trusting the guy that kidnapped you while I'm trying to prevent anything like this from ever happening again."

"Mason is a nice guy, Shane." Nate said enthusiastically. "His life was threatened by Shawn but he risked his life to turn Shawn in. He risked his life to help me, it was thanks to him that I was able to text you and let you know that I was okay. So just chill out alright?"

Shane rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, shaking his head.

"Shane," Mitchie spoke up, walking over to her boyfriend, "If Chief Lassiter suspected him of doing anything he would have taken him to jail too. I know you're upset and angry that Nate was kidnapped but it wasn't Mason's fault it was Shawn's and Nate is back and he's alright now." She reached over and pulled his hands away from his chest and slipped her hand into one.

Shane's eyes narrowed as he stared out in front of him and then he let out a breath, blowing his bangs off his forehead. He glanced at Mitchie who gave him a small smile and then to Nate who nodded at him and the others who gave him the same look.

He groaned, "Fine. I'll trust him but if he hurts anyone of you I swear he's going to wish he went to jail!"

Mitchie chuckled and kissed his forehead. "Thank you Shane."

His demeanor visibly softened but he hid it with an eye roll. "Yeah, whatever."

Soon after that Danielle took Nate and Caitlyn back to the hotel so Nate could rest up. For days after that Nate jumped at every little thing. He wasn't his usual cool, calm and collected self. Jason, who shared the hotel room with him, often heard him screaming in the middle of the night. Then when Jason went to wake him up, Nate jumped away from him and fell off the bed, crawling to the corner, for in the darkness Jason almost looked like Shawn. Once Nate realized that it was actually just Jason he'd crawl back into bed and request for Jason to sleep in the same room with him. It was like Nate was five again and needed his big brother to comfort him.

A week after Nate returned Shane was finally released from the hospital. He was relieved to finally be able to go home but for the night "home" meant the hotel.

The three boys slept in the same room together, Shane and Jason in one bed and Nate in the other all to himself.

It was around two thirty in the morning when Shane was abruptly woken up by whimpers and groans from Nate's bed. He lifted himself up into a sitting position and glanced over to Jason, who had propped himself up on his elbows. They both stared at each other in concern and got out of the bed. They turned on the light that was between the two beds and walked over to Nate's bed.

"Nate." Shane gently placed his hand over his friend's arm and shook him gently. "Hey, Nate wake up man."

Nate's eyes snapped open and his eyes fell upon Shane. In his eyes the younger man's face transformed into the older version of his father. Nate's eyes widened and he scrambled off the bed, hitting the floor with a thud. "Stay away from me." He whispered, crawling backwards.

Shane walked around the bed, approaching Nate slowly. "It's okay Nate."

"Shut up." He hissed, pressing himself up against the wall.

Jason came up beside Shane. "It's alright Nate it's just us."

Nate looked frantically between both of them, his body shaking. "Who are you?" He asked shakily, looking at Jason.

Jason's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "It's me Nate, It's Jason."

"No!" Nate cried. "You're not Jason! Jason wouldn't do this to me!"

"Do what to you?" Jason asked cluelessly.

Shane stepped in to reassure him. "You're not where you think you are Nate. You're in the Comfort Inn, you're safe and away from Shawn."

"He's in jail Nate." Jason added and he started to take a step towards him. Nate's eyes widened and he pressed himself further into the wall. "Stay the hell away from me!" He growled.

Shane and Jason looked at each other, worried. The kidnapping affected Nate even more than they realized. When it happened Nate seemed so calm about it like nothing had happened but it must have been absolutely terrifying for him if he was acting the way he was.

There was a knock on the door and Danielle popped her head in. She was staying in the other room to keep an eye on her son and Nate. "What's going on in here?"

"Nate's freaking out." Shane answered. "He thinks I'm...Shawn and that Jason is one of his henchmen."

Danielle slowly walked in and placed a hand on both of the older boys backs. "Why don't you boys wait outside for a little bit? I'll try and calm down Nate."

Both boys sighed and they nodded, reluctantly slipping outside into the living room. Once the boys were gone, Danielle slowly walked over to Nate who was eyeing her warily.

"Hi Nate honey, you remember me don't you?" She kneeled down in front of him and he swallowed hard, his eyes moving quickly.

"It's Danielle honey, Shane's mom." Danielle placed her hand on top of Nate's knee and he flinched. His wide, panicked eyes stared into Danielle's. Danielle continued to stare at him, her kind, warm motherly gaze started to calm him down.

Nate's breathing slowed down continually until he was breathing normally. His eyes fell calm as did his face and his body relaxed as he blinked rapidly. "Danielle?"

Danielle smiled at him and rubbed his knee softly. "It's me, Nate. You're okay."

Nate looked around the room slowly and realization spread across his face when he realized where he was. He let out a breath of relief and ran his fingers through his hair.

Nate slowly rose to his feet and Danielle followed after, watching him closely.

"Would you like a glass of water or something Nate?"

Nate bit his lip in contemplation and then he nodded. "Yeah." His voice shook slightly. "Yeah, sure. Thanks."

Danielle smiled at him and turned to walk out of the room and Nate followed behind her quietly.

As Danielle headed towards the kitchen Nate spotted Jason and Shane sitting on the couch, both staring at him in concern.

He sighed and slowly walked over to them, plopping down on the couch across from them. "I am so sorry guys. I know I must have seemed like a crazy person in there."

Shane offered him a small smile, leaning forward. "It's alright man, we were just worried about you." Jason nodded his head in agreement.

Nate sighed again as he rested his head in his palm. "These nightmares are getting worse as days go on. When you guys woke me up I thought I was still in a dream." He glanced at Shane, "You looked like Shawn and Jason didn't even look like Jason." He groaned, letting his head fall back against the couch. "I don't understand why this is happening."

"You've been through a terrible experience Nate." Shane said. "The first two weeks after I was hospitalized I had terrible nightmares about him coming after me again so I know how you feel."

Nate lifted his head slightly, opening one eye. "It goes away?"

"For the most part." Shane nodded. "I feel better now that I know Shawn is in jail and won't be coming after me. They went away for a while but then they came back when he came back and got worse when I found out he kidnapped you. Now that he's gone they're gone. You just need to give it some time Nate."

Nate fell sideways onto the couch with a groan. "I can't take much more of this. I haven't had nightmares this intense since I was like five. I don't want to turn against my friends just because of a stupid nightmare."

"I think you freaked out because you saw me," Shane said, "and since I look alot like Shawn you thought I was him."

"I've freaked out at Jason too." Nate retorted. "No matter who it is I'll freak out. I hate freaking out. I don't freak out! Freaking out is your job!" He groaned again and buried his face into a pillow in the couch, his grumbles muffled by the pillow.

Shane and Jason glanced at each other in half amusement and half concern. Shane licked his lips and got up, walking over to the other couch and sitting in the empty space beside Nate.

"Look man everyone is allowed to freak out especially after being through something as traumatic as being kidnapped."

A muffled reply of what sounded like 'Don't Care' came from the pillow.

"You just need to give yourself some time to work through it. It'll end."

Nate grumbled something incomprehensible into the pillow and Shane forced back a smirk.

"By the time I'm ready to get back to dancing around stage again you'll be done with these stupid nightmares."

Nate picked up his head and glared at him. "Shane, the doctor said it'd take at least a couple of months for you to heal enough to get back on stage."

"Technicalities." He waved his hand through the air and Nate rolled his eyes and fell face first back into the pillow.

"I just want everything to go back to normal." Nate yelled into the pillow so it'd be audible to Shane and Jason.

Jason walked over and took the seat on the opposite side of Shane but next to Nate and smiled even though Nate couldn't see him. "Don't worry Nate, we'll be as normal as a duck with black feathers."

Nate and Shane both turned their heads to Jason in unison giving him one of their looks. Jason continued to grin at them proud of his simile and once again, Nate groaned flopping back down on to the pillow. "Great." He muttered.

Shane started laughing and Jason, clueless as ever, laughed right along with him.

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_**A/N: I hoped you enjoyed the bromance in this chapter. I enjoyed writing it :) This is a last minute decision but this chapter is the end of the story. Yes its sad I know but I thought it would be a good ending. **_

_**The next story will be a whole new adventure that secretly I haven't exactly figured out yet. But I will in due time (maybe I could have some suggestions? Should there be a return of Shawn? Should there be a new villain set out to destroy our favorite group of teens? You tell me what you want and I will try to incorporate it into the story! ) **_

_**This story has been so much fun to write and has been so much fun to see all you lovely reviewers and dedicated fans! I love all of you and I hope to see you all in the next story! Look for it, it will be there! **_

_**Send your love in a review please! **_

_**mamaXunicorn **_


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